Tuesday, April 8, 2014

REVIEW: Full Ugly - Spent the Afternoon


Full Ugly may be a misleading name for a band whose music is anything but ugly.  But the name of their debut album - Spent the Afternoon - is a spot-on evocation of the jangly melodies and relaxed pace of the songs.  With touches of sun and melancholy, Nathan Burgess' songwriting captures everyday life in tasty 2-3 minute capsules.  Nothing on the album is rushed or ironic, and the arrangements are perfect showcases for the scruffy charm at the heart of the album.  Breezy and slightly idiosyncratic, it passes comfortably but leaves a satisfying memory.  And I assure you, it travels well -- at the beach, in the car, in the back yard or in the park under the stars.

In addition to Burgess, Full Ugly are Thomas Mendelovits, Zach Schneider and Nathan McFarlane.  McFarlane is a replacement for original member Michael Caterer, who departed to New York with Australian band Scott & Charlene's Wedding.

Spent the Afternoon is one of the fine indie releases from Brisbane, Australia's Bedroom Suck Records, which has demonstrated over the past few years that it has its finger on the pulse of quality emerging music.  And fans outside of Australia rejoice in knowing that Fire Records has signed on to distribute Bedroom Suck's releases outside of Australia.  Note that while the album is released, Fire Records' US distribution is planned for the third week of May.

My recommended songs are "Drove Down", "Hanging Around", "Spent the Afternoon", "Nervous", and "Oh Daddy", in roughly that order.  Yes, I know that is fully half the songs, but it is that kind of album.  Enjoy "Drove Down" and "Hanging Around" below.





The album was produced and mixed by Jack Farley (Twerps and Panel of Judges) and mastered by Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring.

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