THE SECRET CITY- The Secret City

The Secret City come from Sydney. Their bio says that they create 'dreamlike adventures in the search of beauty and truth'. Little tip #1: that description has been used by a million other bands and is enough to make the CD fly faster into the bin than you can say 'lazy eye'. Except your CD isn't as bad as theirs so I'll listen on. You were lucky. But why 'lazy eye'? Well, it is a good way to lead into the bit where I say that opening track, 'My view from here' sounds a bit like Radiohead. Comforting Radiohead though, not sad, depressing Radiohead. Vocalist Rusty Lynch sounds a bit like Thom Yorke anyway. And only on this song. The tracks that follow are more classic rock; sometimes reminiscent of Chris Cornell's solo efforts, punctuated with other acts of the grunge era or Head Automatica (if you remember them)- and just like Aqualung during the sensitive, sweet and endearing piano-led indie of 'Considerable love'.

Actually, the latter comparison particularly sticks from then on (interspersed with Cornell again on 'Elfie' later in the album) but what the trio mostly write is charming and inoffensive love songs in an indie/rock vein, which could sit nicely on a teen film soundtrack, or on the soundtrack to a film like 'Hope Springs' (perhaps not the part where Meryl and Tommy are getting it on- that would be traumatic- but in the general theme of comfortable love conquers all). Which means that, while The Secret City aren't reinventing the wheel, they are a nice band to chill out to as summer approaches.

Anna C

www.thesecretcity.com.au