Foothills
Flying Nun, 2020
9/10
Few bands have lasted as long as New Zealand’s The Bats, who, amazingly, have held the same line up for 38 years now. On this 10th album, Paul Kean, Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward and Malcolm Grant bring us 12 new tunes, where their timeless and always exceptional brand of pop sounds just as inviting as it did in 1982.
“Trade In Silence” has the quartet offering warm and melodic, jangly indie-pop where folk qualities enter the opener, and “Warwick” follows with a quicker pace of spirited guitar work and frisky drumming that embraces vocal harmonies.
Closer to the middle, the acoustic guitar friendly “Another Door” builds into an emotive delivery, while “Red Car” resides in dreamy territory as keys from Woodward add much to the pretty atmosphere. “Field Of Vision”, one of the album’s best, then recruits scrappy indie-rock where Kean’s playful, bouncy bass makes an indelible mark.
Later on, “Smaller Pieces” illustrates the dynamic rhythm section from the veterans, and “Electric Sea View” finishes out the listen with no shortage melody as keys and backing vocals add much to the precise execution.
As always, Scott provides well crafted lyrics to the tunes, and the hooks, melodies and interaction between the members is also exceptional. Not only will few bands ever exist as long as The Bats, but few will ever be as consistently great, too.
Travels well with: David Kilgour And The Heavy Eights- End Times Undone; Sotto Voce- Safety