Melbourne’s Outer South captured my heart last year with the singles “By the Morning” and “Home,” so I was thrilled to wrap my ears around their debut album, We Must Be Dreaming. It’s an apt title for this dreamy collection of indie-folk tracks. With the reality of the pandemic looming large for so many of us, drifting off with Outer South is a great option.
Opening with “By the Morning” reminded me of all the reasons why I love this band. It sounds like a modern lullaby, tender and calming. By the time the first new-to-me track “Half Way” began, I was already in such a blissful, receptive state. Outer South delivered more of what I love with the other tracks, warm acoustic tones overlayed with gentle electric guitars, sublime vocals, lyrics that run like short vignettes, giving us a glimpse at relationships we don’t know but feel a part of for a time. The lyrics of “Everything’s Alright,” which explore the idea of pretending life’s okay, really resonated right now. “Drag” starts off so subtle but builds to a gorgeous crescendo of longing. It’s so easy to get swept away by this music.
With just seven tracks and a runtime of a little more than half an hour, We Must Be Dreaming is the definition of short and sweet. By being selective about their material, Outer South ensures every song on this album is special. If you find yourself wanting more, just remember you can always hit play again.
Images used with permission from Outer South