‘Whole Wide World’ is a track that is equal parts sonic sidestep and emotional evolution. The song also hints at the sprawling soundscapes and sweeping imagery at the heart of their forthcoming second record. Frontier will see the Sydney five-piece channel their trademark electricity into an accomplished studio effort.
‘Whole Wide World’ is a treatise on new beginnings and epic ambition. The track was recorded between an abandoned schoolhouse in Wauchope (NSW) and guitarist Liam Judson’s Sydney studio. Mastering duties were taken care of by Grammy award-winning producer William Bowden. Judson’s riffs recall the cinematic splendour of Echo And The Bunnymen, spiked with traces of post-punk and Dan Davey’s vocals – reminiscent of Britpop hedonism – are an exercise in narrative swagger. Elsewhere, Michaela Davies’ bass lends Lauren Crew’s sixties-soaked keyboards a tougher edge while an urgent drumbeat showcases Joe Driver’s technical progression and doubles as Krautrock-inflected call to arms.
The product of a fiercely collaborative ethos, ‘Whole Wide World’ is both a musical departure and a coming of age. It’s also proof of a band at the height of its powers – an unconstrained yet accessible musical foray.