Turtle Bay Television
No Future
Independent
Turtle Bay Television are nothing if not refreshingly eclectic. The long-standing Perth group, formed in 2012, with a line-up that has gone from four-members to an expansive seven-piece band, complete with brass and a whole variety of instrumentalists, have been pushing the indie-rock genre to its limits over the last ten years. With their new single No Future, off their forthcoming sophomore release of the same title, the band continue this trajectory into interesting and weird territory, incorporating an element of baroque-chamber pop into the mix.
On their previous work, Sketch Caustic, TBTV were able to effortlessly and remarkably stretch from indie-rock, to gothic-theatrical explorations, into spoken word interludes that made the work feel inspiringly new and ambitious (they even dabbled in heavy metal believe it or not). With No Future, the band showcase a more expansive and conventional take on indie-rock, with hints of The Go-Betweens and The Clean feeling like strong comparisons. The seamless-blend of acoustic and electric guitars work well as a backdrop for lyrics about the futility of it all, all jaded pessimism and restless searching “my insights are useless/ I’m certain of that/ still I gaze and I gaze.” With a big shiny chorus that ties the song nicely together, the track is a strident indication of TBTV’s impressive pop chops.
Production on the track doesn’t always complement Thomas Cockram’s wooden, deep vocal however. And there are moments of awkward distorted guitar, which seem deeply out-of-step with the more overt pop sensibilities of the track. These minor complaints are negligible though, as TBTV’s appeal is found in their exploration, their diverse sound and their ambition to push indie-rock to new places. No Future serves as yet another reminder of TBTV’s versatility as an indie-rock group, and their upcoming sophomore release is sure to deliver on the band’s reputation as one of the more exciting Perth groups out there.
JAMES REDMAN
