By JESSE GRAHAM
THE Starting Line is a release you’ll want to keep handy in the car this winter. The six-track EP, the young three piece’s first release, plays like a road-trip record – the stripped back, semi-acoustic folky rock songs that bounce along with lyrics you’ll have memorised by the second or third time around.
The EP begins with Forevermore, which makes a steady shift from acoustic and vocals courtesy of Kate Fyander before easing into backing drums and filling in with the band’s two other members, Darcy Haag (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Aidan King (drums, backing vocals).
The mix of soft vocals, soft drums and prominent acoustic guitar continues right throughout The Starting Line, but though the songs follow a similar musical thread, it never feels unwelcome or overdone.
Songs such as You’re Not Fine and The Moonlight hit a sombre note, with Fyander hitting some darker lyrical notes, though the songs all feel full of heart and light, musically.
The EP features Free, a song entered by the band in the Melbourne Music Bank competition, which asked artists to create a song inspired by Victoria’s capital city.
The song will be a welcome element to those who tracked the band’s progress in the competition (they reached the final four bands), and will be a gateway to the rest of the EP tracks, which all dwarf the catchy song with their content.
The Starting Line is a relaxing series of songs that are easy to digest, but not mundane, and that’s more difficult than it sounds. It has upbeat and slower-tempo songs, which all work together in the final piece, and will be no doubt memorised from the second or third listen.
All in all, the EP is a strong first release for the band, and will leave many listeners like myself keenly awaiting their next release. Keep this one in the car for a slow drive through the valley.
Under the Arch’s musicians are all based in the Yarra Valley, and The Starting Line was recorded by Momentum Studios’ Michael Hardinge in Badger Creek.
For more information on Under the Arch, to view their music video for The Moonlight or to purchase The Starting Line, visit www.facebook.com/underthearchmusic.
