I must admit, I didn’t get Stumps’ new EP This Home is Mine right away. It felt like this Sydney band was trying too hard to be The Smiths. But I have a rule that I won’t turn off any recording before it gets to the end. I know bands have spent time slaving away in the studio laying down their tracks, so they deserve to be heard out.
It all clicked for me somewhere around the third track, “Matthew McConaughey.” I found myself having fun, tapping my feet along in time with the chorus, which clicks this song into gear. From that moment I was firmly on board.
After listening to this EP once, I felt compelled to go back to the start and try again. Second time around, those early tracks made so much more sense to me. Each song from This Home is Mine is like a sucker punch. Not one clocks in at over four minutes – most tracks are around the three-minute mark – so there’s no time for the band to muck around. They go hard, dropping F-bombs and embracing big chords and thumping drums.
Stumps won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but This Home is Mine is bloody good fun. It’s bold and raucous, unashamedly unapologetic. Crank it up and give it a chance. If you’re like me, you’ll be glad you did.
I have an inkling this music is going to sound even better in a packed pub with a beer in hand. If you do too, make sure you don’t miss Stumps’ upcoming shows.
14 April 2018 – Waywards, Sydney (supporting Maddy Jane)
20 April 2018 – Gasometer, Melbourne (supporting Maddy Jane)
2 May 2018 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane (FREE)
4 May 2018 – Waywards, Sydney
5 May 2018 – Yah Yah’s, Melbourne (FREE)
Image used with permission from Beehive PR