Little Shadow: Possessions

- It's nice to see a band that doesn't suck embracing the term post-hardcore. Brisbane's Little Shadow has a blueprint that is a good one: comprising members of bands like To The North, Nuclear Summer, Ironhide & Waiting Room, dialling back the blistering noises a bit, but taking the same angular rhythms and driven, melodic energy and, most importantly, that intensity of feeling and pushing it into an indie-rock package. Their presser makes references to the sounds of Hopesfall, Cursive and everybody's favourite thinking-thrasher's indie-hardcore mishmash The Nation Blue. To my mind, however, I'm instantly drawn to the powerful sounds of another sadly departed Australian Icon, A Death In The Family. Cam Gillard's throaty vocals, tangling emotively with tough issues over the heavy, melodic guitar sound, recalls them instantly for me. Whoever they remind you of exactly, it's great to have another band pursuing this kind of sound, they were becoming a bit thin on the ground. Gillard's lyrics really are quite thoughtful. The Possessions of the EP's title are baggage of the mental kind and the songs are all about making a young chap who's quickly ageing, making an uneasy self-appraisal. There's the sucking tar-pit of every-day life in Altruistic, the meditation on failure and painful empathy of Intervention, or the anthem to the not-very-satisfactory life of writers and musos, Tattoos Are For Lonely People. This EP is a slice of angst for the slightly more grown-up hardcore kid, and in that way it is intelligent and effective. Oh and if you were wondering if all that introspection had taken the hardcore and just left you with 'post', you can still get a bit of sonic punishment on the hidden track up the end of the EP. Possessions is a mature effort from a group of musicians who've been around long enough to get a little perspective and it is absolutely a perspective worth sharing.

- Chris Cobcroft.