Rolling Stones – Tattoo You

Highly recommended for fans of a.s.o., Hysterical Love Project, HTRK, and James K, Acopia is the latest group to emerge from Melbourne/Naarm’s vibrant downtempo / dream pop / trip-hop scene. Compared to their contemporaries Dregs and The Blisks, Acopia seems to function closer to a traditional “band” with guitar, bass, vocals driving most of their songs versus the experimental processing, dubwise effects, sampling, and ambient-leaning sounds of the other groups. Electronics (synthesizers + drum machines) still play a crucial role here though, of course, especially on “This Conversation is Getting Boring,” which sounds like it could’ve been a ’90s chill-out room track if you removed the dreamy vocals. Overall, there’s a bit more “pop” and polish here to the production, which lends well to singer Kate Durman’s breathy vocals and melancholic songwriting.
Recommended – Full Listen
A1 We Evolve
A2 Be Enough
A3 Disengaged
A4 Holding On
A5 Eyes Shut
B1 What I’ve Been Looking For
B2 Intentions
B3 Take You For Granted
B4 This Conversation is Getting Boring
B5 Work It Out
Drums – Lachlan McGeehan (tracks: A5,B1)
Mastered By – Felix Davis
Mixed By – Ewan Pearson (tracks: A4), Morgan Wright (tracks: A1,A2,A3,A5,B1,B2,B3,B4,B5)
Photography – Jordan Hourigan
Producer, Written By, Recorded By – Kate Durman, Lachlan McGeehan, Morgan Wright