Breakups, declining youth, holding out hope for change, and learning to self-reflect—it takes mess. It also takes pain to truly understand who we are. This concept sits at the heart of TOY, the third LP from Brisbane-bred Dear Seattle, which recently topped the ARIA Rock Albums chart. The band has become the first Australian act of 2025 to achieve this feat.
"We Were So Close" continues the theme of interpersonal communication, but shifts focus to confront close friendships. Lyrics like "Who we are right now doesn't change us then" address the universally relatable theme of drifting away from tight-knit friendships and longing to return to a time when you’d hang out with a friend every day.
Dear Seattle sounds the most genuine when balancing tense riffs with a sentiment of charm.
"Sungazer" takes their brooding production in a new direction with dream-rock influences, as the instrumentation becomes more whimsical while retaining their signature blend of nostalgic, honest guitar-driven arrangements.
The standout tracks on TOY are those where Dear Seattle expands on their influences to deepen their existing ideas, with "Cut My Hair" being a standout.
Subtle use of electronics paves the way for fuzzy, grunge-driven orchestration and darker, more eerie riffs. The lyrics feel more dense than ever, with Fisher delivering evocative lines like "They all say I hope you're doing well, I can't even say it to myself," which confront self-loathing and challenge the process of change. Fisher initiates genuine pain in accepting the need to broaden his confidence, even if it leads to negative shifts in how others perceive him.
TOY's tenth track, "Elastic," sharpens a darker, alt-pop twist on their Kerrang! formula, while the eleventh track, "idc," matches its chugging guitars and confrontational lead vocals. It elevates the lyrical themes of youth-driven struggles, singing, "You're 17 and no one cares, parade the streets with all your friends. You're 23 and over it, spending all night screaming, I don't care," above a delirious mix of soaring guitar melodies and intense drums.
Unfortunately, "The Special Two," a demo that Dear Seattle sent to Triple J for potential airplay, closes the album on a somewhat underwhelming note. While the raw vocals are easy to appreciate, the noticeable dip in audio quality and its placement after the more detailed twelfth track, "Reckless Pessimistic," makes it feel unnecessary.
It’s clear how Dear Seattle has begun to capture the attention of the mainstream in their home country after dedicating 42 minutes to TOY. The album features breezy tracks that allow listeners to relate their own experiences of coming-of-age and self-improvement, thanks to accessible melodies and a retro sound that never feels forced.
However, as the album progresses, the themes tend to blend into one another, and more variation—like the one showcased in "Cut My Hair"—would give their next album a more multi-dimensional feel.
The final track feels unnecessary, and while the songwriting remains personable, it often falls back on simple F-bombs and irritable shouts when expressing resentment. More nuance in this area would make future releases more dynamic, giving anger a less black-and-white representation.
Despite these critiques, TOY holds plenty of promise for Dear Seattle, showcasing their potential to create a classic album in the future.
The album feels as though it’s stepped out of a portal of Scuzz TV music videos from the 2000s—authentic and respectful of the specific brand of pop-punk and rap-rock that the channel once endorsed, while still allowing modernity to shine through in their reflections on broken relationships.
Passion, drive, and honesty define the majority of this LP, offering irresistible melodies that will stay with you long after the album ends.
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