The cover photo shows four fresh young adults, dressed in casual clothes in baby blue and baby pink, against a pink background. What kind of music do you expect? I assume that this concept has been well thought out, and that it should evoke a kind of art pop (or pop art) feeling, which is not very far from how it sounds. Pictured is Melbourne-based supergroup Partner Look, featuring German sisters Ambrin (we know her from Cool Sounds) and Anila Hasnain (Studio Magic), and their partners Dainis Lacey (Cool Sounds) and Lachlan Denton (The Ocean Party). Their friendly blue/pink image graces the cover of their debut album By The Book, on which you hear 12 very enjoyable indie pop tracks, which I personally associate more with the color yellow. They are sophisticated, jangly songs with the occasional surprisingly sharp edge, that make you long for spring.
Partnerlook turns out to be a German expression referring to two people wearing similar or matching outfits, but it is an interpretation that could just have more meanings, a feeling that the band also wants to evoke with their songwriting by playing with where we differ and where we, as humans are inherently similar. That’s pretty arty, isn’t it?
By The Book is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Spunk/Osbourne Again (in AU/NZ) and Trouble In Mind Records (elsewhere). RIYL Emma Russack, Phosphorescent, Kurt Vile.