Premiere: The Final Gifts Of Spilt Cities, 'Flower Beds' & 'Neverknowsbest'

Spilt Cities offer up final singles, 'Flower Beds' & 'Neverknowsbest'.

All good things must come to an end, and as for Perth's Spilt Cities, they are very good.  Therefore their end is all the more bittersweet for me. Their debut album, 2017's magnificent 'life, on hold', was a gorgeous, dynamic, and authentic rock record; with just the right amount of emo, indie and spacious post-rock vibes. It was one of my favourite albums of last year, pulling the very best bits of Modest Mouse, Band Of Horses, Mewithoutyou and Brand New into one lush, rich whole. There was just such heart and charm to quartet's songwriting and the vocals and lyrics of Shaun Rodan, as shown by great songs like 'Long Grass / River People', 'Sharing Lungs', 'Keep Quiet', and 'No End, No Beginning'. Something that will now all sadly go unnoticed by many with the band's departure from the music scene.

The band emailed me back in May, saying they were ending Spilt Cities in 2018 but had two final songs left and wanted us to premiere them. Of course, I was totally onboard with the idea. The group's curtain call arrives with two beautifully touching new singles: 'Flower Beds' and 'Neverknowsbest'. Both recorded and mixed by Andy Lawson and mastered by William Bowde, these send-off tracks encapsulate all the best aspects of their debut LP. With just as much emotion and care as per usual. With wonderful chord voicings, excellent song structures, fuzzed bass lines, expressive melodies, remorseful lyrics of the weight that bears down on us as individuals, 'Flower Beds' and 'Neverknowsbest' are melancholic, heart-tearing listens. Yet exceptional ones at that, putting a deep twang in my chest that we won't see Spilt Cities cultivate their talents further.

Vale Spilt Cities. Hopefully, we'll see you again another time. Much love!

Spilt Cities will be playing their final show on August 24th at Amplifier Bar.