Modern Giant’s latest release This Is Sydney EP, showcases the band’s latest four songs, as a follow-up to their debut LP Satellite Nights. Luckily, the band’s signature blend of spoken-word and locally focussed pop rock remains undisturbed.
The title track ‘This is Sydney’ sees Gibson utilizing his skill in spoken-word with his thick Aussie accent to personify Sydney, and describe a range of people, places and relationships that are familiar to Sydney-siders, but may be overlooked by foreigners. Gibson has an undisputed skill with the English language, with a range of metaphors and descriptive analogies, such as: the girl at Kings Cross Station “with eyes from Europe, via heroin” or the “Woolloomooloo flats stacked up like noise complaints” rolling smoothly off his tongue.
The opening line “The tide is so high this afternoon you can smell it in Annandale“ is repeated throughout the track, and sets the general theme for the story that Sydney is dominated by the coast, or “you cannot deny the ocean in Sydney”. Other lines such as “now that I am single I’m seeing double”, “somewhere nearabouts” and “ahh, this is Sydney” are repeated to convey the nostalgic, empathetic mood that resonates well with Gibson’s accent, and his passion for story-telling. The spoken word is backed by a simple, melodic pub-rock drum and guitar combination, which serves well to accentuate the message that Gibson is presenting.
The following two songs move away from this spoken word, with ‘On The Quiet’, with Andy Meehan on Vocals, and ‘Blues Into Gold’, with Gynia Favot on vocals, presenting a smooth, melodic pop rock sound. Mellow guitar solos and chilled drum backing make these tracks and ideal accompaniment to quiet Sunday afternoon schooners.
Returning to spoken word in the final track ‘New York 54’, Gibson again uses his literacy skills to tell the story of an ex-pat Aussie, getting caught up in the “Corduroy of concrete, the bitumen of tears” that is New York. Iconic references like JFK Airport, Yellow Cabs and the Jersey turnpike are used to paint the vivacious picture of the unforgiving NYC. The addition of Gynia’s vocals to the chorus, serves to aptly reduce the chance that the spoken word component would become monotonous.
