Steve McQueen was known as “The King of Cool”. This may seem a hard legacy to live up to, but The McQueens do a very good job. If Steve perfected the art of acting, the band have perfected the art of electro infused rock.
Described by triple j’s Nina Las Vegas as “deep” and “epic”, the Melbourne band’s electro-infused rock is simultaneously dark and danceable, dense, synth-heavy and full of attitude, with frontman Noah’s lyrics displaying a maturity and sophistication beyond the band’s years. This unique sound and sophisticated writing ability is what sets the band apart from the ever growing pile of copy cat indie rockers.
Earning the attention of triple j, the band – Noah Harris (Vocals/Guitar/Keys), Tibby McNab (Backing Vocals/Bass), Yano Newman (Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Harry Monaghan (Drums) – were listed as finalists in the station’s Unearthed High Competition in 2011. Rather than fizzling out as most high school bands do, The McQueens took this accolade as a nod of approval and humbly continued to hone their skills. Caz Tran of triple j commented that there was “some serious potential for much bigger things to come”. This was certainly true for last year’s release Fitzroy. The EP was in such high demand that when Noah’s guitar was stolen a few months ago, all that was taken from the case was 20 copies of the disc.
Despite a relaxed approach to recording, The McQueens’ new EP Return to Laughter sounds just as intricate and carefully constructed as their previous releases. Crafted as a whole, the four tracks, though different, fit together cohesively.
LINKS:
http://www.themcqueens.com.au/
http://soundcloud.com/themcqueens/
http://www.youtube.com/user/WeAreTheMcQueens/videos
http://themcqueens.bandcamp.com/
