Disquiet Living

Following a string of EPs and singles, Melbourne quartet Hideous Towns finally polish up the good silver for the release of their debut album Disquiet Living. With their winning combination of chiming gazed-out guitars, dynamic female vocals and buoyant, no-frills drum propulsion, Hideous Towns have nonchalantly secured a stronghold on the world’s tuned-in dream-pop fans. On Disquiet Living, with producer Matthew Hosking at the helm, Hideous Towns succeed in taking their enviable pop smarts to places hitherto explored by the band, from the spirited new-wave of Jacques-Louis David and the motorik kraut-pop of Lion to the expansive, wistful album closer Natural Expression. On latest single Value, Alana West's urgent, powerful vocal bursts forth beyond the entangled post-punk rhythm section and further into the listener's personal space than usual, her direct delivery contrasted by some of her most abstract lyrics to date. West explores the idea of balance in her life as she attempts to achieve a state of grace, within her own inner world and in the world around her, sagely examining the innate equality of those she encounters in all walks of life.