The Getaway Plan are a four
piece alternative rock band hailing from Melbourne, Australia. There have been
a number of line-up changes as well as a brief hiatus since their inception in
2004, but on their latest release Dark
Horses (released July 3 2015), they are as cohesive as ever. Signature
traits and techniques from previous albums combined with an at times fresh
approach do an excellent job of reclaiming and re-cementing their spot on the Australian
rock scene.
The Getaway Plan have an
amazing way of making their music appealing and accessible to fans of a wide
range of genres, including rock, metal, punk and pop. The clarity and purity of
Matthew Wright’s vocals and piano melodies are a stark but wonderful contrast
to the instrumentation that some would say is grungey or relatively heavy. Dark Horses is full of clever and
effective contrasts; clean, undistorted acoustic guitars in Baby Bird/Effigy contrast the grungey,
down-tuned guitars in tracks such as Battleships;
and melancholy lyrics juxtapose the uplifting and hopeful atmosphere of Dark Horses. The piano aids in the
starkest contrasts, as it simultaneously feels out of place with the rest of
the instrumentation, yet fits right in to add an eerie or haunting atmosphere.
A number of external
influences on The Getaway Plan’s sound on Dark
Horses are evident. The opening tracks of the album, Landscapes and F(R)IEND
feature some fuzzy, rousing riffs and basslines that are similar to those in
Kasabian’s 2004 track Clubfoot. My
personal favourite track from this album, Castles
In The Air, shows hints of Royal Blood with more fuzzy riffs and a
swaggering beat lead by guitars and backed up by the rhythm section. As a huge
Royal Blood fan, this atmosphere is a large part of why this song tops my list
of the best tracks on the album. An atmosphere change in the following few
tracks uncovers warbling falsettos and clean arpeggios in the first half of
double track Dreamer/Parallels,
reminiscent of Jeff Buckley’s first and only LP Grace. The second half of this track features Melbourne hip hop
artist Freeds, and his almost spoken yet rhythmic vocal parts over a jazz drum
beat encourage comparisons to The Cat Empire’s vocalist Felix’s scatting style.
A couple of tracks are a nod to Muse’s style; The Means has a ≈15 second window of a distorted bassline, similar
to those that have been staples in Muse’s music for the last 21 years or more.
The soaring guitar sliding featured in Monuments
is a pleasant acknowledgement of Muse’s 2006 track Invincible.
All of these references
are a true testament to the musicianship of the members of The Getaway Plan, as
it showcases that they are able to take inspiration from a wide range of
artists and incorporate it seamlessly into their own style and compositions. I
believe the broad range of influences evident in this album are a certain part
of why The Getaway Plan has such an expansive and versatile appeal and fan base
– listeners are able to enjoy familiarity not only from The Getaway Plan’s
trademark techniques, but also from references to some of the most popular
bands or artists of this generation.
As I mentioned earlier, Dark Horses is plentiful in clever
contrasts. Yet the cleverest contrast of all is when you look at the album on a
macro level – take a step back and you will see that the atmosphere of the
first few tracks juxtaposes the following eight in a genius way. The album
works as a diptych, where each piece makes sense on its own, but gains meaning
when placed alongside the other. This is owed very much to the placement of
tracks on the album, which I’m sure was not a coincidence. Opening track Landscapes gives listeners a sense of
familiarity due to the trademark The Getaway Plan instrumentation and
atmosphere, before the listener is taken on the emotional journey of the
following ten tracks. The last three tracks Baby
Bird/Effigy, Monuments and Exodus
are placed in the best possible position to bring the album to a close.
Unmissable tracks are Castles In The Air, Dark Horses and Dreamer/Parallels, but to truly
appreciate them, you have to hear the album as a whole.
Whatever sort of music
you’re into, I would recommend Dark
Horses, because there’s a little something for everyone.
Rating: 8/10
The Getaway Plan embark on
an Australia-wide tour on September 3rd until the 28th of
November. Find out more about their tour here.
* Find The Getaway Plan on Facebook here
* Listen to Dark Horses on Spotify here
* Buy Dark Horses on iTunes here
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