The latest release from Auckland's Superturtle is a darkly pretty post-punk gem, an absolute banger. Robert De Niro comes hot on the heels of Right The Wrong, released earlier in 2023. Both feature on a new album slated for release soon.
Darren McShane's voice has just the right amount of melancholy to it, painting an all-too-relatable picture of the repetitive nature of everyday life. A story perhaps of dreams dreamed, but lost, as reflected in the final line of "You want it all... but you get nothing now". A stark contrast to the "You want it all, la la lalala la!" chorus lyrics, delivered in magnificently lush harmonies.
That chorus is a real earworm, too. It's been stuck in my head for days. It's delicious to listen to, too. I love the way such a beautifully ultra-clean guitar tone can contribute a dark atmosphere in the right hands, and such a tasty little guitar solo too.
There's an excellent danceable energy to this song too, and you might just get an opportunity to test that claim when they tour through April/May. Superturtle are songsmiths who truly know what they're doing, check them out if you haven't already.
Superturtle's debut release in August 2008 was heralded by an inaugral live performance featuring special guests Chris Knox and The Nothing. Four songs made Kiwi FM's top 10 over the following year, with video play on C4, Juice TV, Triangle and CueTV, and In Flight on Air New Zealand. The single All Our Friends featured on Jim Mora's National Radio show Best Song Ever Written on May 11th 2012. The album received four star reviews in The Waikato Times and The Groove Guide.
THE MIDDLE
The second album About The Sun was preceded by the Valley Town EP and Sad Sack single and was released June 7th 2010 on Sarang Bang Records and Ode Records. It received extensive play on Christchurch bnet station RDU and Kiwi FM.