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Anxiety Club - EP Review: Francine

14 Nov 2019 // A review by kongfooey
Well, this is a nice surprise. One of the perks of writing for Muzic.net.nz is that you get to discover the new local talent that you may have never stumbled across otherwise, and Wellington indie band Anxiety Club has got the goods.

The first song on this mini EP is Public Service, a hilarious upbeat tune about a guy stuck in public service for 29 years and all that entails. The track kicks off with drums and bass before the chiming guitars cascade in, equipped with Moog keyboard and luscious BV’s making Public Service a catchy slice of Kiwi indie pop.

The title track Francine is served up next and it's another great upbeat indie rocker. I really dig the chorus in this one, they definitely have carved out a sound of their own with the addition of the Moog keyboard adding a little bit of soul into the mix.

The final track is The Sun Is Out and it takes everything down a notch with an acoustic and keyboard intro, a gentle lullaby for the first half that then it drops into a heavy chorus with a cool melodic solo and outro.

These are three impressive tracks from a band that have a great ear for melody and song structure, they’re definitely a band to keep an eye out for and I’m “anxious” to hear a full album in the future, and hopefully on vinyl.
Rating: ( 5 / 5 )
 

About Anxiety Club

Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, Anxiety Club established themselves early on as an indie act to watch. Over the closing years of the 2010's, they pumped out a steady stream of singles and EPs - from the anthemic Be Still through the alt-country infused Black Heart EP to the guitar-driven post-punk Francine EP, and student radio favourite Ginger in the Summer.

They have toured their home country of New Zealand (inc. co-headlining shows with Miles Calder, Adam Hattaway, Milly Tabak & The Miltones), graced summer festival stages (incl. Coastella, Festival of Lights) and recorded a number of memorable live-to-airs for Radio NZ.

Like for many artists, the pandemic hit hard. Gigs and tours were put on hold and progress on the Francine follow-up slowed to a standstill. They lost band members to other cities during this time too - including founding drummer Chris Hill. What could have destroyed the band instead fuelled a surge of creativity in remaining members Kev Fitzsimons (Thom Cross) and Clint Meech (Matt Langley band). To help them complete their debut album they collaborated with Chris Armour (Miles Calder band) on guitars, Andrew Bain (Fur Patrol) on bass and LA-based beat-maker Zach Simao.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Anxiety Club

Releases

Old Dreams
Year: 2022
Type: Album
Francine
Year: 2019
Type: EP
Black Heart
Year: 2018
Type: EP
Live EP
Year: 2016
Type: EP

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