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Bed: The Future’s Bright EP

Recorded by the band in Auckland, this six-track EP sounds very much
like the feted Flying Nun Dunedin sound of the early ’80s. That is,
like The Chills and Verlaines, sort of psychedelic Byrdsian guitar
pop, laced with mildew instead of Californian sunshine. Singer Blair
Wright has that full-throated, round-vowel baritone curious to
songsmiths from the south (Fagan and Luck are others better known).
The songs are quite literal, so instead of hitting you over the head
with a hook, you'll get a wry smile out of the sentiment in This Is
Our Getting On The Radio Song, There Was Something Vaguely Pleasing
About Her or Anarchy in the NZ. As for getting on the radio, the
densely melodic whimsy might be too subtle in the age of Gaga. One
senses Wright would be philosophical about listeners missing the point
– as he sings in Affection, “Perhaps I thumbed my nose at fortune to
get exactly what I need”. Weirdly nostalgic, the EP has a lot of
character and the laconic irony and wordplay provide a textural depth.
Keyboard player Lucas Alfaro provides some jaunty piano and handled
the production. Kym Pram on guitar and drummer Patrick Girard round
out the lineup. It appears the future’s retro.