LASTLINGS are Amy and Joshua Dowling, an electro-pop duo from Australia. They recently released their latest EP, Verses, on the newly launched imprint Exist. Recordings. This new label was recently unveiled by one Danny Harley – better known by the moniker Kite String Tangle – his electro-indie project.
The sibling duo emerged in late 2015 with Unreality – a cocktail of luminous guitar/synth arrangements and atmospheric vocals. The EP went on to earn them support slots for such acts as UK indietronica noodlers Glass Animals. Verses is more of the same, only with a more pop-oriented approach. Lead single “Urges”, for example, features sharp hooks and bright guitars that glide along on playful drums.
The pair frequently reaches for the weightless alternative R&B of fellow Australians Vallis Alps. Most of these tracks are geared towards roomy production, with the spaces filled in by the glossy Lorde-in-a-wind-tunnel vocals of Amy Dowdle. Tracks like “You” stand out, where the vocals and drums achieve a sweet synchronicity while synths pirouette in the background.
It’s a sound they’re certainly not budging from, which unfortunately means the overly synthetic presentation can feel a little anemic at times. “Time” is shrouded in ethereal backing vocals and fidgety drums, but at least serves as a clear representation of their desire to step outside the framework that once fell onto them. The majority of Verses, however, is the sound of a duo who’ve found their unique groove and are owning it.
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