Massage – “Crying Out Loud / Under”

Seems all that jangle in the South Hemi is bleeding its way northward and those with the right kind of ears are tuning in. L.A.’s Massage take heart in the sweet and dour strums of the Twerps/Boomgates vein of Aussie pop, while also taking a swerve past strains of the Sarah Records germ that may have planted a seed during guitarist Alex Naidus’ tenure in The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. In general though, as the band attests, they live in L.A. but their hearts are adrift in Australia. The A-side sways with three part harmonies and a pining lyric that’s delivered with wistful sweetness by keyboardist Gabi Ferrer. On the flip, things kick up to a faster pace with a bright shock of pounding riffs and some of those Sarah records notes floating though, weaving their vocal harmonies into bittersweet knots with the deft skill of Veronica Falls at their best. The EP was recorded by Papercuts’ Jason Quever, who’d knocked into the band practicing around the corner from his studio. The veteran engineer gives things a subtle sheen and sparkle that compliments the band’s effervescent pop. Its a pretty perfect double shot that’s bound to knock around your skull for days. Here’s hoping that this grows to a full length soon.




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