4/5 stars
It’s been a solid four years since Melbourne-based indie band Skipping Girl Vinegar graced our ears with their second studio album, Keep Calm Carry The Monkey. Their latest release, The Great Wave, holds no new surprises of greatness, bringing upbeat positive musicality and anthemic vocals on the opening track ‘Dance Again’, alongside soft, folk-like laments on ‘Hey Kid’ and ‘Lost In The Heads’.
Highly inspired by lead singer Mark Lang’s recent experience of coping with his wife’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer, the album offers a range of emotional rawness and honesty from start to finish. ‘Hey Kid’ offers a wave of support, lyrically contrasted by a softer bemoan on ‘Here Comes The River’. The record epitomises the universal, everyday struggle of dealing with pain and unexpected realities, while bringing to the surface the evident human instinct to care for those we love in times of need, be it through empathy or affirmations of empowerment.
Recorded primarily in tin sheds and abandoned halls along the Victorian coast, the fittingly titled The Great Wave upholds a true Australian coastal sound, with rustic surf sounds and uplifting, poignant harmonies throughout.
There’s no doubt The Great Wave will be a touchstone in Skipping Girl Vinegar’s growing career for years to come.
The Great Waveis out through Secret Fox.
