Possible Humans – Everybody Split – Album Review
by Killian Laher

Australian band Possible Humans released their debut back in April but it has now just been given a wider release.  With three brothers and multiple guitars, there are easy comparisons with fellow countrymen Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever.  The tracks are largely guitar-pop tunes, full of intricate guitars weaving in and out of each other.  This is best exemplified by the opening track Lung of the City, which evokes early REM if Grant McLennan did a turn on vocals.  Aspiring To Be A Bloke takes a darker turn, ringing guitars backed by a Paul Banks from Interpol soundalike.   There are reference points aplenty here, and the review runs the risk of turning into a “this track sounds like this band” style article.  Suffice to say it’s bursting with reference points, from The Fontaines DC (The Thumps) to of all things, Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain (Born Stoned).  It’s by no means wimpy stuff – Absent Swimmer features a savage, biting guitar solo, Nomenclature Airspace feels charmingly rough and ready while Stinger opens with warped-sounding dissonant chords.  Final track Meredith is probably the track here most representative of the album, some really great guitar work on this one and drawled efforetlessly cool-sounding vocals.

The centrepiece is the eleven and three quarter minute Born Stoned.  It clearly has designs on being an epic.  It has a backdrop of gorgeous, classic-sounding guitars, perfect for drifting off and spacing out to (really), as the band sing about how “I was born to be around”.  Easy to imagine this would tear up in a live setting.  The album fizzes with youthful energy and anybody who likes their guitars clean, treble-y and played at speed will love this.  With these guys, the aforementioned Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Goon Sax, Australia is alive and well with the sound of exquisite guitar jangle.

Track List –

1. Lung of the City
2. Aspiring To Be A Bloke
3. The Thumps
4. Absent Swimmer
5. Nomenclature Airspace
6. Orbiting Luigi
7. Stinger
8. Born Stoned
9. Meredith

Lung of the City: