(Independent)

You say party we say... Party! Cleverly!

Re:enactment are Brisbane’s own experimental, new wave party band. Darting under the feet of their thumping kick-drum are flirtatious guitars, sinuous synth-lines and the clamour of harmonized, call-and-response vocals. It makes for an overtly quirky listening experience, one that never outstays its welcome in any particular style, but instead pleasantly surprises with a range of soulful musical references to eras past. The arrangement can be overly busy, which is due in part to instrumentation. Distorted guitar chords and over-hit cymbals take up valuable sonic real estate, which could be put to more creative use. The production of the EP contributes to its burdensome aural aesthetics. The vocals tend to sit oddly in the mix, jutting out at odd angles, with little reverb or any attempt to blend the layers of harmonies together. That’s all well and good – The Vines’ Highly Evolved featured a great deal discordant harmonies (if you’ll allow the oxymoron) – but the voices here are so close together they seem accidentally placed, rather than irreconcilably opposed. It doesn’t detract from the EP’s main function however, which is to make you dance about the place wondering what the hell is going on. To that end, these Kittens are certainly worth picking up.

JAKEB SMITH

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