Album Review: Ceres - 'I Don't Want To Be Anywhere But Here'

Ceres' debut EP 'Luck' caught some attention for its laid back approach to post-punk, a pop-rock edge with sweet melodies, hazed distortion and sweeping waves of beauty and mess. The band has refined and pushed these ideas further with their full length album 'I Don't Want To Be Anywhere But Here,' which will give those of you who remember the days when Australian rock music was at its finest (say the mid-to-late-90's) something to smile about.

The album stand-out, 'Middle Names', is the best example of what this band do. The vocals during the verse are strained, while the guitars gently tinkle away with subtle melodies, while the chorus opens up sounding like the child of Big Heavy Stuff and Something For Kate, and that is one adorable baby.

The opening tracks are kept short and sweet but deliver entertainment in the form of diversity. The frantic opening run of 'Half A Metre', which can change to a down-trodden first chorus that reappears later in a huge guitar driven format, this band will keep you guessing the whole way through. From out of nowhere the short tracks are eclipsed by a giant stuck in the middle, 'Three Times', which starts out with a clean strummed guitar and gentle vocal melodies before some room sounding snare drums begin the build up to some more intricate guitar work. It almost seems as if this band is able to meld together several melody lines without you really noticing them do it, as this track in particular evolves, dies, and is reborn beautifully.

'Barkly Garden Break Up Park' starts out with a bit of a Gaslight Anthem twinge with percussion driven verses before 'Try To Keep You' brightens things up sounding like Kisschasy for adults.

Closing with the country folk guitar of 'Upwey, Tecoma, Belgrave' and 'Bless The Thief', they manage to combine all of the elements featured throughout the record into one song, like a nice little epilogue.

We've been waiting for Australian rock music to get back to something like this, it is well overdue, and Ceres appear to have exactly what is needed to lead the charge. 'I Don't Want To Be Anywhere But Here' is the local release of the year so far.

1. Jam Song

2. Middle Names

3. Half A Metre

4. I Feel Fine, I Feel Sick

5. Three Times

6. Syllables

7. Barkly Garden Break Up Park

8. Try To Keep You

9. Upwey, Tecoma, Belgrave

10. Bless The Thief