Grunge-gaze? Sludge-pop? Whatever you want to call it, it's heavy and beautiful and sticks in your head long after the last peal of feedback fades. Downbeats is the second album from Brisbane / Meanjin trio Terra Pines, following on from 2018's self titled record and a string of singles. It refines and develops the debut's sonic signature – the dual harmonised vocals still soothe while the twin guitars and drums wallop you in the head, but now the band does it with a few little tweaks and unexpected shifts. There's elements of post-punk and dream-pop (see the single Harp On), dynamically shifting epics (the cosmically focused Blood Moon), jangly fuzz-pop (Green), blown-out slowcore (the languid yet brutal Wiseacre) and, of course, crushingly fuzzed out guitars (the best example being the lead single and pseudo- title track, Downbeat). The trio of Kelly Hanlon (vocals & guitar, Deafcult & Ancient Channels), Owen Dengate (guitar, Ghost Notes) and Cameron Smith (vocals & drums, Spirit Bunny, Tape/Off) combine into something abrasive yet comforting, a sonic thunderstorm that lulls you into submission.
