Start Together, a four-piece band hailing from Meanjin (Brisbane), make their return with their latest single, Separate Beds, following a hiatus of a couple of years. The song goes into the charming domain of jangly guitar pop, conveying a modest hint of darkness beneath its surface.
Start Together display their ability to bring together intricate concepts with memorable songwriting. Drawing comparisons to the sound and ways of New Order, the new track is filled with infectious dynamics. The rhythm section, the overall instrumental exquisiteness of it, and the candid vocal delivery, create an appealing whole.
The band's lyricist, Gerard, draws influenced from the work of authors Françoise Sagan and André Breton. Explicitly, the line "love is foolishly bandied around" is borrowed from Sagan's novel Bonjour Tristesse, while "out in the running" and "your echo abounds" originate from Breton's Nadja. These words express the ambivalence and naivety of youth, together with the opposing positivity which emanates from a short-sighted belief in love.
Gerard explains: "These lines express youthful doubt and foolish optimism, respectively, which are both accurate representations of my suppressed insecurity and vulnerability with being in love (at the time of writing the song, at least)."
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ZR