Aussie Indie Rock quartet, Spacey Jane, were formed in 2016 by Caleb Harper and Kieran Lama before Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu and Peppa Lane later completed the group. They emerged into the vacuum that was Perth’s music scene and have now cemented themselves as one of Australia’s most-loved bands. Their success began in 2017 with the single, ‘Still Running’ and they have since released three EP’s and two albums, the lastest of which is ‘Here Comes Everybody’.
The band have collectively said they "aim to make music which resonates with people" and "focus on the sense of connection that music brings". This connection will certainly be felt at their recently announced UK tour, bringing fans of Spacey Jane together to celebrate the hazy yet insightful songs which characterise the band. Caleb claims his inspiration for songwriting comes from "processing emotions and life experiences" and "music as a means of catharsis", both of which are apparent in the lyrics.
The listener is eased into the album with ‘Sitting Up’ and ‘Lunchtime’, both songs that maintain an upbeat tone. It is difficult to resist dancing to the heavy guitar and pervasive drums underlying both songs, propelling the melody forward with momentum. The prominence of guitar persists in ‘Lots of Nothing’ but the lyrics begin to delve deeper into the ‘emotions and life experiences’ that Harper talks about. This song explores the ambiguity of love and also its opposite with some haunting lyrics and a gentle melody.
After this song the trajectory of the album shifts, becoming slower and heavier in ‘Clean My Car’. The change in pace is matched by the lyrics which begin with, "Here we go again", exploring mundanity and disappointment. As is characteristic of Spacey Jane, the song is guitar driven but fewer layers of sound give it an acoustic feel. The expression of melancholic sentiments intensifies in ‘Hardlight’, arguably the highlight of the album. The uncannily off-kilter Pop chorus of this song perfectly mirrors the theme of depression that it tackles. The effect is one of delirium and dizziness which drags the listener into the abyss that the vocalist describes. The track even contains lyrical snippets that swirl around like fragmented conversations alongside the melody, adding to the sense of disorientation.
‘It’s Been a Long Day’, ‘Bothers me’ and ‘Not What You Paid For’, are all, as might be expected from their names, smooth yet fatigued. Spacey Jane experiments in these songs with banjo, with immersive, layered sounds, and with a synth littered style that evokes, "the dull throbbing of a reckless summer". Despite the sense of inertia that is evoked, the final few songs on the album, such as ‘Head Above’ and ‘Pulling Through’ offer a more optimistic note with lyrics indicating acceptance. An emotional blend of silky vocals and smooth guitar offer hope for the future and an escape from the soporific hold of earlier songs in the album.
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