(Indie Pop) Mosman Alder - Humdrum Star - 2014, MP3, 320 kbps

In 2012, when electronic music was on the meteoric rise and songs about thrift shopping were impossible to escape, Mosman Alder’s ‘Burn Bright’ EP was a sudden change of pace.
Orchestral instruments, guitars, and brooding vocals combined into stunning, sweeping soundscapes that fit remotely into the realm of indie pop, but didn’t sidle alongside the year’s equivalents. Come 2014, and the Brisbane six-piece are back with their debut LP, recorded by Something For Kate’s Paul Dempsey. The result of overseas travels, band realisations, and a steady period of growth, ‘Humdrum Star’ presents Mosman Alder at their best, a recorded summary of the reasons why they’re seen by many as Brisbane live music royalty.
‘Humdrum Star’ is an album that shines musicianship, clearly put together by performers of various influences who are all equally as dedicated to their individual craft. The arrangements are packed full of subtleties – building string layers in opener ‘Golden Archers’, guitar/violin unison in ‘Prized Paradise’, countless moments of intricate vocal interplay and harmonies – building grandiose soundscapes that present additional layers on each listen. Although it may be a tad alienating to readers to talk about the album in such specific musical detail, it seems necessary in this context; the brilliance of Mosman Alder’s work is largely a product of their attention to detail, and their ability to mesh countless influences into something so cohesive. ‘It’s Not Love’ combines heavy drumming with gypsy-esque violin and ‘Try Your Luck’ features dance-like synths, all whilst ‘Tokyo 1933’ showcases piano that only a classical pianist would insert into pop music… countless stylistic quotations are consistently heard, and it’s impressive, to say the least.
For all the album’s subtleties, ‘Humdrum Star’ is sonically, surprisingly enough, a radio-friendly album. Occupying the space between atmospheric pop and alternative rock, the songs have the structures, singalong vocals, and riffs that one would expect from less orchestral counterparts. First single ‘Germland (Of Julien Charbonneau)’ is a violin riff-heavy slice of indie pop led by metronomic drums, whilst ‘Try Your Luck’ and ‘Home Again’ feature thoroughly catchy choruses that would easily trigger a crowd’s voices from a festival stage. Songs such as ‘It’s Not Love’ also venture into the heavier realm, providing content to be enjoyed by listeners as varied as the band’s influences.
Lyrically however, ‘Humdrum Star’ presents narratives that are, at many times, a juxtaposition to what can be heard on the surface. A band with melancholic tendencies who do not shy away from vivid imagery, Mosman Alder present a coming of age story with, more often than not, a darker spin. With the stunning, crooning voice of Valdis Valodze primarily in lead – occasionally interchanging with the smooth, delicate voice of Jackson Muir – the upbeat moments of the album dim when explored further. The chorus of the upbeat ‘God Is Pissing On You’ proclaims, “Your heart was just a muscle to me”, whist ‘Germland’ – although holding positive sentiment – contains lines such as, “If I owned a gun I’d probably shoot myself.” With the gorgeous, building ballad ‘Shine’ opening with, “Please send another tired soul to his knees,” the slower moments unsurprisingly continue the melancholic mood. With all this said, this release is by no means a depressing album, and the stories are one of its clear strengths, giving listeners room to dig below the surface.
For some – depending on their musical outlook – ‘Humdrum Star’ may be too scattered, too complex, too pop-friendly, or so on, so forth. But it cannot be denied that Mosman Alder is a supremely talented collective, and on creating this LP, they have truly nailed everything the band is about. The music is widely influenced yet cohesive, left-of-field yet listenable, lush, and narrative-filled… next is to see how they pull this album off live. But if past Mosman Alder is anything to go by, their live show will continue to cement them as one of Queensland’s most exciting acts around, pushing them along the ever-upwards path.