Alexander Gow and Thomas Savage are both talented but palpably distinct singer-songwriters. It was no surprise, then, that this would underpin Savage’s decision to depart Oh Mercy for his own creation, Kins. Whereas Gow writes with an unabashedly romantic, personal and candid fervour, Savage’s style is more metaphorical/abstract, observational and inquisitive (Savage wrote Met A Wizard on Oh Mercy’s 2009 debut album Privileged Woes). Upon hearing Oh Mercy’s sophomore album, Great Barrier Grief, and now Kins’ debut mini-album – Dancing Back And Forth, Covered In Whipped Cream – fans will be grateful that they’re able to hear both singersongwriters flourish in their respective elements and distinctive visions.
It’s not until the final song – the title track – that the mini-album’s running theme/narrative is rendered apparent. Described by Savage as based on the true story of a man who – despite spending $2000 in a brothel – couldn’t understand his wife’s indifference, the album’s theme rings emphatically in the closing lyrics: “My concerns extend to the victim, not the dream / These are loathes one cannot describe / Slide notes in to her cup so she’ll say, ‘You’re William, William the Great'”. The provocative cover art and suggestive title do prove a little misleading as Dancing Back And Forth, Covered In Whipped Cream is an intriguing and enveloping debut record steeped in metaphor.
Best Track: The Last Detail
If You Like These, You Like This: Two Dancers WILD BEASTS
In A Word: Entrancing
