Brisbane-bred and soon to be Sydney-based rock act Interim have put it all out there with their new EP Metanarratives. It’s a bold collection of five songs which the band call “narratives about narratives.” As someone who really responds to lyrics, I appreciate that they’re a band telling stories.
The press release calls Interim a “hard-out rock quintet” but that doesn’t quite convey the whole essence of this band. Honestly, the five tracks we’re treated to probably still only skim the surface, but it’s an amazing start.
The opening track “Jack” grabs you from the first notes. It feels like it could score a modern Western film. There’s a lovely grittiness to it while still being accessible.
I love the simple combination of vocals and sparse acoustic guitar opening the follow-up track, “She’s the Devil.” It feels like you might hear it around a campfire or something in the Wild West until the electric guitars break in and roughen it up. As the intensity lifts it becomes something so much more epic than it began.
“Play Your Game” feels like a throwback to classic rock acts like Led Zep and Deep Purple in the best possible way. It’s all power and passion and sheer grunt.
After such a ball-tearing number it was a relief to slow things down with the bluesy, sensual “For Your Love.” This song is the one which really shows that Interim are much more than just a “hard-out rock” act.
“Way Down” is a big song to end on, but it’s not my favourite. It seemed a little screechy, without the restraint I saw in some of their other big numbers. Sometimes less really is more. It’s epic, but don’t quite pack the emotional punch that I think it should. I can’t fault the band’s ambition though. Sometimes you’ve got to take risks, and they’re not always going to pay off. In the case of Metanarratives, mostly they do.
Metanarratives will be released via MGM Distribution on Friday June 12.
Image via Collision Course