Lemon Lime Bitters
Love You
Independent
New kids on the block, Lemon Lime Bitters, embody the spirit of their namesake drink. Their sound is refreshingly sweet with an edgy infusion, bringing to mind hot summer days spent on the porch from a time long gone.
Formed in early 2020 as a Fremantle-based pandemic project, Lemon Lime Bitters have been gaining major traction within the Perth indie music scene. Featuring Tanu Hudson on electric guitar and vocals, Kez Goodman on vocals and bass, and Lachy Kent on drums, the band combines hints of indie folk, 60s garage rock and 70s classic rock.
The result? A distinctive sonic experience, taking one back through the years. The band takes its inspiration primarily from classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Black Keys and (early) Beatles, all of whom you can hear within their recently released debut EP, Songs for the Hammock. With smooth vocals, strong guitar riffs and intense drumming, Songs for the Hammock provides a unique musical experience, best enjoyed with a beer and a lens of youthful naiveté.
The first song of the EP, Love You, captures the feelings of nervousness and anxiety associated with telling someone that you love them for the first time. There’s a childlike curiosity and first-time emotiveness to Love You, yet it’s catchy enough to be a pop song.
Love You begins with a haunting yet mellow riff and echoey male vocals ending in a higher note, almost begging the audience to ask a question. The song follows an unconventional structure and timing pattern, with dissonant intervals and a nostalgic tonality to the production. The effect is eerie: it maintains the feelings of uncertainty and wondering, leaving the listener grasping for more.
Mid-way through the song, female vocals meld with male vocals like grapevines onto a trellis, indicating that the love is, indeed, reciprocal. Outside of the verses, the vocals are seemingly experimental, but fit beautifully within the context of the song.
The male and female vocalist harmonise perfectly. You can almost physically grasp the chemistry from hearing the two voices blend together in bittersweet discord. The melody of their voices tugs on one’s heart strings, leading up to a wonderful cacophony of drums, guitar and vocals.
Whilst the lyricism within the EP (and in Love You itself) isn’t the most creative, Songs for the Hammock is a time capsule of a period nostalgic to many of us. The EP is less emotionally intense, but it’s definitely worth a listen… especially if you’re in the mood to relive the triumphs and downfalls of youth with an indie folk-pop-rock soundtrack. If you want hear more from this refreshingly new act, Songs for the Hammock is available on all streaming platforms now.
CALLISTA GOH
