Big Scary - Four Seasons

Wed 8th Dec, 2010 in Music Reviews

It’s been a big year for Tom Iansek and Jo Syme and, in an unusual twist, we’ve been there every step of the way. We’ve charted their progress – from Summer and Autumn, to Winter and Spring – to arrive at this, a long-awaited compilation. Four Seasons is the definitive collection of Big Scary’s seasonally-themed recordings, each made and released accordingly across 2010.

Unsurprisingly, with each EP, support for the duo gradually snowballed into a not-so-subtle avalanche of indie-kid acclaim. Sure enough, those in the know soon had Big Scary pegged as the indie-darlings of Melbourne’s music scene. They’ve already earned international support slots, nationwide airplay and that curiously coveted ‘Kingsmill’ approval. They’ve made some serious waves.

Fortunately, it all makes perfect sense. Four Seasons justifies their growing success, proving both rewarding and efficient in casting the duo as the apparent ‘next big thing’. The release, comprised of the broad emotional spectrum of four seasons, is an engaging balancing act. Four Seasons is a predictably fluid offering, transforming time and again in what becomes an adventurous ebb and flow.

There’s a little something for everyone. The hopeful, joyous crashes heard throughout Hamilton and the furious grit of Tuesday Is Rent Day provide perfect foils for the contrasting introspection heard in Home and Thinking About You. Autumn will no doubt prove the highlight for many, an infectious marching-drum processional aided by a chipper, all-in chorus.

Big Scary’s musical proficiency and artistic determination of the past year is a thing of beauty. Seldom are we treated so casually to such a prolific creative output. Iansek and Syme, however, have gifted us with this refreshingly ambitious year-long, all-encompassing project. Not only does it appear to have grown effortless it does exceedingly well to showcase their versatility in a stunning, affecting light. If nothing else, they have made it fantastically difficult to pigeonhole their music in careless, sweeping buzzwords. In fact, it seems the only certainty is that Four Seasons offers a colorful, impressive and imaginative rollercoaster of a release.

Soundly affirming the hype that surrounds the duo, Four Seasons is your introduction to Big Scary ahead of their debut album, set for an August 2011 release. If you haven’t been there from the start, not to worry: now is the perfect time to buy into Big Scary. All you have to do is sit back and allow each season to whisk you away.