It’s this sublime relationship between Gawenda and Preiss that separates Husky from the flurry of indie folk/pop bands emerging at each turn – even with their palpable love of ’60s/’70s songwriters, it’s not their influences that define them, but the band’s sensibilities toward timeless harmonic-pop, and the grace with which they express, both purely and metaphorically, human fragility.
Husky’s 2008 record, Quiet Little Rage, served merely as a low-key introduction to this beautifully realised full-length. Recorded in Gawenda’s backyard bungalow, Husky’s official debut album – Forever So – is intimate, affecting and richly textured. Drummer Luke Collins and bassist Evan Tweedie provide deft touches to these carefully-crafted songs, while Californian producer Noah Georgeson (The Strokes, Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom) captures Husky’s aesthetic superbly by working closely with Gawenda and Preiss in the mixing of the album.
Already established as one of the year’s most thoughtful ballads, History’s Door is a mesmeric blend of evocative narrative, infectious vocal harmonies and dreamy melodics. But the Melbourne band’s latest single, Dark Sea, almost matches it; even amidst the melancholy laments, Husky cleverly opt for fruitful reflection rather than mournful nostalgia. Then there’s How Do You Feel, which appears like a frightening, unexpected twist as nightmarish visions unravel into something otherworldly.
An album marked by themes of dreams, memories and time, Forever So illustrates – with gorgeous detail – those memorable moments and eerie experiences that proffer greater poignancy upon meditation. Just like the narrative’s emphasis on the preciousness of isolated events, Husky’s entrancing harmonies evolve from dreamy flourishes into evocative streams, trickling with a melancholy charm and wrenching sensitivity. Forever So is a beautiful, rewarding album from one of Australia’s newest musical gems.
Best Track: How Do You Feel
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In A Word: Harmonious
