by aura
Melbourne, Australia-based trio Left at the Avenue released their debut EP ‘In Light’ on February 2. Exploring themes of self-doubt, worry, nostalgia, and longing, the four-track EP plays into the musings of a young band that reflect on their shortcomings, relationships, frustrations, and years of working together. “The EP has, quite frankly, provided me an ability to get out my thoughts, emotions, and concerns,” said frontman Henry Parks. “It has completely absorbed me in the best possible way. I will forever be grateful to have had the privilege of being able to have this outlet and be able to do it all with the two greatest people around me.”
Powerful and captivating, lead single ‘Minibar’ is the lure that first drew me to LATA’s hook. It opens with a quiet sound then dives immediately into a crescendo, creating an enveloping sensation like being inside a wave. The music is then worked with a back and forth intensity just like a tide, creating a feeling of insistence and frustration. With hard harmonic guitars, the melodic prowess in this song is undeniable, making it a fan favourite. Potent vocals delivered with emotion tie this song together into a neat atmospheric package that sets the tone for what we might expect from the band going forward.
After the intense delivery of the opening track, we go right into the most intimate song in the collection, ‘Who Do You Take Me For?’. Lead singer, Henry’s vocal power is on stunning display once again, as he tackles this vulnerable and reflective song with his voice and an acoustic guitar. Serving as a checkpoint of sorts, the song showcases the band’s great potential for creating this sort of stripped down, open and compelling tune as well as songs dressed up with complex melodies.
The EP then delves back into a rhythmically powerful piece with ‘Generic (I Know)’. Despite musing over the quality of their craft, there’s nothing generic about this track. With clear rock and alt-rock influences, it’s a much heavier sound with drum-driven arrangements and hard, fuzzy guitars, bound together to create infectious and compelling choruses and once again, on-point vocals. Get ready for an head-bopping angst frenzy. This is a song for blasting at the highest volume possible.
On the heels of that powerhouse, we have ‘Tremont Cres’, a song that brings in LATA’s British musical influences with a touch of shoegaze. The ballad is a great way to close out an explosive EP, with a loveliness that makes its six minute length hardly noticeable. A show and tell of the band’s journey and a celebration of what the future may present, the song stacks musical arrangements onto a persistent beat, creating a wall of sound, but with the edge of minimalist production that ensures the instruments remain distinguishable from one another and never out of sync. This creates a jigsaw-like feeling where the whle is greater than the sum of its parts, like the unravelling of memories one by one to understand one’s complete history.
Safe to say I’ve enjoyed this EP a lot. How many times have I listened? YES! I, for one, loved the length of the songs — more than the three min. modern standard — and how this EP works as a presentation card to a band that displays not only incredible potential for growing within the industry but also their creative prowess and artistic range. A great debut and I can’t wait to see where their career takes them. One hundred percent recommend listening top to bottom!
For those of you who happen to be in the right part of Oz, you’ve a chance to join the band as they celebrate their “wholesome milestone” with a gig at The Catfish Fitzroy on March 1.
Indie Dependent 
Leave a comment