Clastic Rock

Chronique

Sometimes you gotta shake things up. So, it's understandable that this project from Melbourne musicians Matthew Ford and Innez Tulloch, who formerly went by Thigh Master, decided to tweak things ever so slightly and rebrand as Dippers. Thankfully, they've left a large portion of their sound intact. You can still expect a heaping helping of hook-laden, jangly guitar pop but the differences here are largely textural. A liberal application of an acoustic 12-string ensures that Clastic Rock is one of the brightest sounding albums the act has produced and also opens up enough space on the tracks for a handful of guests (including frequent collaborators Dusty Anastassiou, Nicole Thibault, Nicky Minus) to weave in a wide array of instruments—flute, trombone, synths, harmonica, wah-wah guitar—to create something more compositional, too. The result is a rich tapestry that serves as the perfect backdrop for the band's sugary, sun-kissed melodies. There's a bit more of a spotlight on Ford this go-round, with his vocals being more front-and-center in the mix. His unique vocal stylings—part Calvin Johnson earnest croak, part Stephen Pastel sing-songy yawn—might be an acquired taste, but his odd tunefulness adds an intriguing dimension to these tracks.  And when paired with Tulloch's gentle harmonies, the salty-sweet vibe is impossible to resist. Australia has no shortage of acts playing this sort of Flying Nun-esque indie pop, but whereas a lot of their peers play music that sounds like it was influenced by that scene, Dippers genuinely feels like an extension of it. © Alex Howell/Qobuz