Album Review: ROYSTON VASIE ‘Colour Springs From All the Gloomy Things’

Straight out of Melbourne, surf-psych-pop band Royston Vasie released their first two albums through Courtney Barnett’s record label Milk! Records, but have moved to Brain Fade Records for their third LP release, Colour Springs From All The Gloomy Things. The band have performed alongside huge music names, including Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Vasco Era, Manchester Orchestra, The Afghan Whigs, and of course, Courtney Barnett. Royston Vasie have said their latest offering is heavily influenced by The Beach Boys, an interesting departure from former releases drawing influences from groups like The Dandy Warhols and The Black Lips. 
Wildlife starts the album with a buildup to a swaying tempo and airy lyrics. The guitar melody is definitely the strong point on this song, complementing the airy vocals.
Leaver has a smooth tempo and starts with a rippling intro before crashing into a song that is more chill than the first tune was. The tone of third song Dream On is in the name; the song is dreamy and mellow, with almost comforting lyrics and a melody that leaves you feeling energised and detached all at once. Dream On’s fresh ambience makes it a standout choice for the album single.
Better Things features lingering lyrics, and inspires feelings of nostalgia. I can definitely hear traces of the Beach Boys harmonies in this song; I am reminded somewhat of some of their more bittersweet songs like That’s Not Me or even Don’t Talk perhaps from hit album, Pet Sounds.
Gold Coast takes it down a notch, with a wind or reed instrument adding a backing tune. It is a beautifully chilled out song, that makes you feel as though you are on a roadtrip, driving past the beach as the sun begins to set.

Songs Now and Then and The Ballad of Hermes Endakis signal a shift in the album to a number of more rock-oriented songs. The Ballad of Hermes Endakis feels like the prologue to the following song, setting the tone for the explosive Girl.
Girl is an uptempo rock song with catchy chorus lyrics and fuzzy vocals that to me reveal the bands’ Beach Boys influence, especially the infectious energy of the song. The bridge breaks up the song perfectly, before they launch back into heavy drums and a thrashing guitar riff. It’s surely an anthemic song, with strong vocals and a hook that sticks in your head. 
Reality Testing starts off with a dark, pulsing drumbeat. The song tapers off to a melody carried by a firm downbeat. The tone of the vocals at the beginning remind me a little of early Blur for some reason. This is probably my favourite song from the album, with its moodier vibe. Maritime Creep continues in a similar vein, propelled by deep bass and drums. It is a nice song to wind down to at the end of the album.
Recorded at Head Gap in Preston with Finn Keane (Wilco, Twerps) the album is laden with insightful lyrics and muted vocals, all set against dreamy, calming instrumentals. Every song on the album melts into the next in a dreamy flow, but one cool thing about this album is I think you could listen on shuffle in any order and it would still be a seamless listening, mixing up the experience. This album truly hits the road trip aesthetic, swinging from low tempo crooning tunes to uplifting pop melodies and back down to ripping rock melodies.
It is refreshing when you think you can predict the rest of the album from the first few songs, and then be so very wrong when the album takes a darker turn. This LP veers in a slightly different direction for Royston Vasie, but they pull it off with finesse. It is packed with guitar riffs that drive the songs in a way I am certain would make for an impressive live performance.