"On their first EP, A Slow Decay, Chambers plunge
into the emotional caverns with echoing ballads and well-thought out
arrangements combining pure honesty and harrowing beauty wrapped
tightly in an organically musical blanket.
The Chambers
sound ricochets between delayed guitars and raw splendor with songs
written by men who have the music in mind. There is a real colourful
exploration feel to their songs. A band experimenting with the
disciplines of the art they love, drawing inspiration from the cinema
to the desert, and whilst Chambers are definitely blessed with
all the ingredients that many great bands have, it’s the sharp
attention to musical detail that really manages to draw fresh blood.
The
band carves out their own creative niche and set themselves above the
tide of other bands on the indie scene today by focusing on the music
rather than the noise. Every note essential, every chord important,
like a well thought out poem; not a second is wasted. They do this,
almost fittingly, by hailing back to the triumphs of the 80’s, with
obvious tributes to Echo and the Bunnymen, Brian Eno or Ride, it’s hard to imagine that this is their first musical offering. But the real standout in the Chambers outfit is the ability to write catchy rock songs pregnant with heart and feeling.
The creative story arc of A Slow Decay begins with the slow, powerfully raw, brooding Anniversary, which speaks of the protracted rot of a relationship in hemorrhage, whilst the closer, Sea Mistress, ends the record with another sad lament. It is in between however that Chambers
really manages to show off. The ability of a band to musically splatter
whilst the lyrics stay focused is a rare one, but the three minute
semi-western Bone Dance in particular manages to create this
equilibrium with ups and downs in vocals and guitars whilst the almost
Spaghetti Western feel of Quixote has a definite cinematic feel
and one can almost see the song alongside a hero on a mountain top. The
honesty in all these tracks is evident and whilst singer/guitarist
Isaac Yeo insists the songs aren’t autobiographical, it’s an
achievement that he makes them sound so real. The brilliance of the
guitar and drum arrangements is that the music comes first, with the
vocals often playing a welcome back seat to the strong guitar work.
This is somewhat refreshing and gives the record an environmental,
patient echoing feel rarely seen from most young bands.
A Slow Decay
is beautifully produced, with each song knowing it’s place so that it
rises and falls in the right places, the beats of each song juxtaposing
against the next, an intentional yin and yang that, like all well
produced releases, is transparent.
This EP is what Sydney-siders should be listening to. It isn’t
opinionated, it doesn’t preach and it’s not trying to change the world
one person at a time. But what it does do is provide a revitalization
to young Australian music, leading by example and playing strong
ballads and simply good music."