Treetops - Gospel

Tue 12th Apr, 2005 in Music Reviews

It hasn’t been an easy 12 months for Melbourne lads Treetops. Following the release of 2002’s What’s The Matter, Baby? and 2003’s Lionheart EPs – both successful enough to garner some radio play and allow the band to headline decently-sized pubs around town – 2004 was the band’s annus horribilis. Three lineup changes, separating from management twice and the loss of their A&R guy (by my calculations, that’s one Spinal Tap “is this the test pressing?”-styled catastrophe every two months).

It’s therefore heartwarming to see the new-look Treetops (the partnership of bassist and songwriter Ben Montero and vocalist/guitarist Jordan Speering still intact and bolstered by the arrival of ex-Pictures drummer Brett Wolfenden) return with the five track effort of Gospel so early in the year. The title track is a blend of harmonies, sun-kissed acoustic guitars, banjos and organs. One of the stronger moments Treetops have recorded to tape, the production by Jonathan Burnside (he who has worked with The Sleepy Jackson) is slick and does wonders for the Treetops sound.

Pony In The Morning (about the inner-city bar most gig-going Melbournians would be familiar with, ending up there after shows due to the comfy couches and… can I have a free drink card please?) almost steals the show with its assured Thrillsesque blend of piano and classic-sounding guitar, over which Speering admits “sometimes I get a little bit of action”. The Wurlitzer-friendly Hayley And The Oxygen Tent slows the pace down, with the narrative of a man in hospital talking to his partner

“Hayley, don’t be concerned
 deterioration has not burned my will to survive
 we can get married
 before I am carried off to the sun”

genuinely affecting. Leaving Tidal River contains a dual vocal attack and could have been lifted from one of those ‘classic hits’ compilations. It’s here that the band’s influences (The Byrds, Fleetwood Mac) become apparent – responsible for Treetops’ lush keyboard lines and “la-la-la”s. A demo version of The Nest (possibly touted for the band’s debut album) rounds the release off and is once again classically structured. As the raw version is enough to sustain interest for over four minutes, it’s fair to suggest that a polished studio release may result in a standout album track.

Welcome back, Treetops. The law of averages suggests that the next 5.2 years of your career will be predominately catastrophe-free. That’s about enough time for two or three killer albums..