‘Up To Anything’ by The Goon Sax (Album)

The Goon Sax: “ambitious, talented and will almost certainly appeal to their peers”.

Wistful pop debut by these Brisbane newcomers adds an explosion of pastel colours and decorates 2016 in new wave clothing

The Goon Sax are a pop three-piece formed in a Brisbane bedroom. These guys may take their influences from the likes of Talking Heads, The Pastels and other 80s new wave and indie acts, but they’re so cute (in sound and looks) that they’ll have you puking rainbows by the end of the first chorus.

This is never clearer than on Boyfriend, where we find singer and guitarist Louis Forster lost in a lust-filled teenage daydream. The musical arrangement is simple paint-by-numbers stuff, but with lyrical content that tackles homosexuality, it is a refreshing track to come from such a young band.

The sound of the album is awkward, making it a perfect accompaniment for the icy road of adolescence. See, for instance, Home Haircuts, which finds Forster talking about bad haircuts like a failing relationship, or Sweaty Hands, where the usual interjection of nervous teenage paranoia fills the air, instantly transporting you back to those unforgettable moments of first times.

Creatively the album lacks excitement in places, choosing to tiptoe through issues cautiously where it could stomp instead. However let’s not bash these youngsters too much: they’re ambitious, talented and will almost certainly appeal to their peers.

Verdict: A inoffensive debut that suggests a bright future for this trio

Dave Chrzanowski

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