High school friends, Dom Dougherty and Lucas Willmer began writing music together in 2017 and now as housemates, they’re still writing and recording music. Their latest endeavor That’s Enough… is a DIY, “bedroom record” to the max. A punk rock ride with blends of emo sounds, sometimes heavy, sometimes soft. Their mutual love and respect for emo/punk music drew them to write songs about everyday anxiety, trauma, family, love and loss. Bands such as Brand New, Lower Than Atlantis, Slowly Slowly, Thrice, Sorority Noise and Tiny Moving Parts musically and emotionally influenced their writing. Thematically, the album’s songs are about daily struggles with anxiety, betrayal, fear, family, therapy and doing your best to cope with trauma. Recorded at Lucas' parents’ house in Brisbane, Australia, mixed and mastered in the duo’s house, the songs were first brought to Willmer with a melody and chord progression, from there the duo hash out all the other parts. Dougherty recorded the drums, electric guitar and vocals while Willmer recorded bass and electric guitar.
The opening track “The Only Way” is very much an emo styled song. Simple in its message, with few words and few, spacious notes and musically, it’s got a chilling sound. “Smart Casual” begins with quiet, choppy guitar chords. After the first few verses, the duo kicks it up with heavy guitar chords and rumbling drums. This one to me has a cutting, heavy edge to it – more akin to post-punk, even post-metal (aka new metal) in some respects. “Abrasive” has more of an indie rock sound and style, an all-around likable tune worthy of radio play. Although lyrically, searching “for my body – if I disappear” leaves a chilling impression on the mind. Next up, is “Confidence” a song that delves a little deeper into the band’s heavier sound and lyrically, the words seem to reflect taking stock of one’s life and not being overly confident about the choices we make. The guitar solo was pretty good, too. “Last Night” begins on a lighter note with acoustic rhythms and a sparse electric guitar. No drums here. The lyrics are very personal, as the song seems to be about getting over the death of someone close, but still being haunted by the memory of someone who is no longer alive. The band switches back to a hard edge rock sound on “Can You Find Me?” Soaring, edgy guitar playing and pounding drumbeats give this number its driving force. Not sure what “F.O.T.” is an abbreviation for what, I don’t know, but the words definitely read as if the songwriter was feeling the weight of all life’s many anxieties and asking – “When will I be whole again?” This is one of the band’s higher energy, charged up songs. “If Anyone Asks Where I Am, I’ve Left the Country” reads like someone caught between being tempted by someone who they find attractive but knowing that they shouldn’t fall down the rabbit hole. Great meaty bass lines by the way. On “Old Cleveland Road” there are great, melodic bass/guitar riffs starting out and lyrics that reflect inadequacy, doubt and low self-esteem. Sometime later the band ramps up the rock energy and the scream-singing comes in – very emotional. “Drug Me Til’ Your Work is Done” begins with an acoustic rhythm and it stays that way throughout the song. This is a straight on, one-man song. Dealing with loss, anxiety, the fear of being alone and finding out who you are without someone by your side, but at the same time feeling free, really comes through powerfully here. The duo’s last tune is “Common Cold” and this one seems to be about denial – denial of not being a part of someone’s life any more, a lover in this case. The band’s changing, grinding chords stood out most to me on this one and also, when they mix the acoustic in and drop out the heavy stuff at the end. All in all, a pretty solid album. The band has a consistent sound and style, more post-rock, emo and indie pop than anything I remember punk to be, but genres do evolve through the years. The only influential band Alpynes mentions that I know of is Thrice, and I’d have to say that comparison is spot on.
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