In my completely unbiased opinion, Slowly Slowly are the best band in Melbourne, and hell maybe all of Australia right now, and they just dropped their new album Daisy Chain. Here’s a short but sweet track-by-track of all 12 songs, because I can’t pass up an opportunity to gush over anything Slowly does.
Daisy Chain
“I GOT A BONE TO PICK WITH EXOSKELETAL ARMOUR I LOST IT NEVER FELT PRETTIER” I mean come on, Ben’s lyricism never ceases to amaze me and Daisy Chain has been a constant ear worm since its release. It’s cute poetry about something as fragile and simple as a daisy chain being able to protect and serves as a sweet metaphor for the simple things in life being those that lift us up.
Blueprint
Now, talk about a SONG! A song that just exploded when released. Something that shook me to my core when I first heard it and has been a favourite ever since. This song goes absolutely wild live, it’s basically an out-of-body experience. “SIX SIX SIX JUST MAKE A WISH” every word is screamable. Maintaining the raucous energy Slowly is known for with a danceable beat in tow makes for such an enjoyable and powerful track. “Call the cops, somebody stop me, rip my sick head off of this body“, is a stand-out lyric.
Turn It Around
Ok ok ok, this funky beat, excuse me. Something quite dark within the guitar lines makes the song quite eerie. Lyrically it’s encapsulating going through hard times, “I hide I sleep in the daylight / I walk through the landmines I’ll have my time again” while maintaining a groove that isn’t necessarily danceable by definition, but there’s something about it that makes it hard to resist.
Forget You
I have been addicted, and I mean ADDICTED to this song since its release. Everything about this song is addictive, the bouncy bassline that rocks in at the second verse just takes me to another level. The track is a perfect blend of upbeat dance melody with rocky grit “I RUN ON FUCK ALL SLEEP” the guitar line driving it home underneath the ethereal choral voices fills the track into a larger space. “Distil my self talk to unmet needs“, is once again a fucking killer line, and as that ripping guitar riff comes in toward the final chorus, it’s just the icing on a very sweet cake.
Nothing On
A suddenly sweet pop intro just slaps back down into a low moody first verse and you feel a little bit jarred and intrigued. ‘Nothing On’ calls on some very indie pop notes with an injection of electro-pop within the bubbling synth underneath. “Our world had to fall apart for my silent skips in my aching heart to show up” is a very relatable aching pandemic sentiment for anyone whose an emotionally sensitive soul who found themselves sitting inside their own brain a little too much during lockdowns.
Achilles’ Heel
Maintaining the upbeat groove, with fast-paced lyrics ‘Achille’s Heel’ is running full speed ahead to deliver the message. The song navigates the up-and-down rat race of trying to be better over again and again when the finish line seems to keep moving. There are some cheeky nods to the music industry “The lost art of writing a record has been distilled down to making the playlist” which showcases just the absurd nature of the game and how, really, will we ever live up to the standards other people set?
Hold My Breath
God damn Slowly is getting funky! I am absolutely adoring this mix of funk dance and gritty guitar rock. Danceable emo music is what flows through my veins and Slowly are delivering it directly to the source. “C’mon break my heart, save my life / Keep me hanging on for a lifetime” a really sweet love song navigating that when it’s the right person you want to make the worst parts of you better. “You melted my armour and the spiders crawled out” like COME ON, my emo heart is aching.
Medicine
With a song titled called’ Medicine’, a slow guitar and really intimate vocals, you just know this one’s gonna hurt, and it does. It’s a lot to give yourself up to a song and put it out there for the world to hear, laying your heart and your soul on a platter. Every time Slowly deliver a slow ballad it’s an instant favourite of mine. “Where’s the medicine you take to believe / I’m on my knees“. The raw authenticity that Ben delivers on tracks like these is what makes them so powerful, you can hear the voice cracks and shaky breath and that’s when you know it’s for real. Another tear-jerker and another favourite.
God
Memorising the lyrics for this one is gonna be a process, but it’s an amazing story. “‘Coz the core of it is right here right now and I hope you notice it” is the line that pushed the tears over the edge. Relying on some higher power to make our decisions or say that better things are coming, what if it’s not there? Why not make our own path, our own decisions, as Ben states “I don’t need God to make up the decision / To be a little more loving in my life“. The strings, the crashing drums, and the wave of power that comes through toward the final choruses are all-encompassing. The topic is nothing new to be explored, think Joan Osborne’s ‘One of Us’, but it sure is a stunning way of doing it. brb crying while listening to this one on repeat for a week.
Longshot
This song is a classic Slowly track, with grit, sass and pure energy. “Let’s change planets let’s change bodies / I think I want a new name“. A pep-talk in the form of a song, being like hey, let’s give this a go, fuck it “it’s a long shot but it’s all I got”, it’s quite cathartic to scream that out.
Moving Trains
Seeing “feat. Dashboard Confessional” when the track listing was released was a big “whaaaaat?!” moment for a lot of us, it’s still pretty wild. You can definitely feel the influence, it’s giving a little more pop-punk energy that’s sure to be a fun live song to get around. As the song descends into a slower guitar strum, it’s so emo, it’s so tasty.
Papier-Mâché
Oh god, a piano, here we go, time for tears. There’s not much to really say about songs like these except that damn they make you feel. The poetry just cuts like a knife. Similar sentiments to the earlier ‘Medicine’ the raw pure bleeding of emotion just pours out and washes over you. “So tell me again how I’m papier-mâché / a thousand weak layers unrequited in vain / it’s too late“. God this one HURTS.
Overall, the direction ‘Daisy Chain’ has gone in is a sweet mix of gritty, rough energy and shimmering sweet melodies that is a brighter side compared to the darker elements of the Race Car Blues chapters. Maintaining the epic lyricism, authenticity and emotion that Slowly are known for, with ripping guitar lines, grooving bass and powerful beats it’s a stellar album from the gift that keeps on giving in Slowly Slowly.
talk music to me 