Project Description
BALL PARK MUSIC
‘Good Mood’
(Album Review)
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Goddamn! Ball Park Music have done it again. The Brisbane based band’s fifth studio album ‘Good Mood’ is, dare I say it, a good mood indeed.
Following the nihilistic theme of their previous record, ‘Every Night The Same Dream’, ‘Good Mood’ pays homage to indie-pop realms of the five-piece’s earlier work. The band have truly refined and honed their new sound in this album showcasing their artistry in true Ball Park style. In fact, you could say that ‘Good Mood’ is an indirect reflection on Ball Park Music’s journey as a band.
Track numero uno from the album, ‘The End Times’, serves as a stepping stone from the pariah themes of the band’s last album with the killer hook “are you waiting for some kind of meaning?” The lyrics are bleak, yet the song sounds so uplifting that it sets us up for what’s in store for the rest of the album.
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The first half of the album also houses the band’s recent hit singles, ‘Exactly How You Are’ and ‘The Perfect Life Does Not Exist’ with guitarist Dean Hanson assisting lead man Sam Cromack in the song writing department in writing the latter. Both songs manage to capture nostalgic elements from the band’s original sound whilst still being a refreshing tune to add to their catalogue of hits. They’re catchy with layers of guitar that add that slight complexity to them whilst centring us in bliss.
Now, while Ball Park Music often successfully experiment with quirky genre bending sounds, the excess use of auto tune as a studio effect, notably in the album’s third track ‘Frank’, feels slightly unnecessary. Whilst this technique has been used quite a lot by artists in recent times, on ‘Good Mood’ it feels out of place. That being said, the track in its essence is still a simplistic and romantic tune that compliments the album.
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While the album’s sound is still primarily driven by indie pop/rock, midway in it finds itself diving into post-punk with its grungy track ‘Hands Off My Body’. With its heavy synthesiser use, hectic drum lines and intense guitar solo, the track gives the vibe that it is fully intended to be experienced live. This track begins the second half the album in which we see exactly how the band has developed since they jumped on the scene a decade ago.
With lovely lovely guitar swells, the album continues to impress and ‘Dreaming of America’ even sees us take a step towards the dream pop genre with blissful guitar chimes. We also see more of Dean’s songwriting in this half of the album, co-writing ‘If It Kills You’ with Sam as well as writing the final track on the album ‘I Am So In Love With You’. This song is a huge courageous love ballad that finishes the album on a total high just like an album should.
‘Good Mood’ is an impressive, diverse, tight album designed for killer live sets. Whilst ‘Every Night The Same Dream’ may not have spawned any Triple J Hottest 100 hits, the initial reaction to ‘Good Mood’ predicts we shall be hearing some killer Ball Park Music tunes in next year’s celebrations easily.
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AMNPLIFY – DB
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