A fixture of current shoegaze/dreampop recommendations, it took me a little while to come around to Melbourne’s Flyying Colours – not because they’re difficult, but because they’re most decidedly not. Their take on the genre is groovy and easy – major key melodies, suitably fuzzy guitar riffs, and Brodie J Brümmer’s and Gemma O’Connor’s chill vocals delivering “how you doin?” lyricism make for some frictionless listening.

That might be a little overly dismissive of their content, though. The lead single from this year’s You Never Know – the band’s third record – is about hearing loss. Said Brümmer:

For a period of time I became obsessed with how I had neglected my ears over many years of touring, rehearsing, mixing and recording, and I constantly contemplated what it would be like to say goodbye to music. Writing this song was a way for me to accept that what is done is done, and to manage my own guilt spiral. The guitar parts were circling around my head incessantly for weeks, as was the ringing in my ears, before the words and music came together.

Brodie J Brümmer, Flyying Colours
Flyying Colours announce third album ‘You Never Know’ and share lead single @ NME

I remember giving their 2016 debut Mindfulness a try and it didn’t stick, digging into 2021’s Fantasy Country and You Never Know has been more satisfying. Maybe their songwriting has improved, or maybe I’m less demanding of transcendence. Either way, they’re solid records.