It’s been said of many bands, and it’s certainly true of purplene – your enjoyment of the band will come down to whether or not you like the sound of Matt Blackman’s voice. It’s got that distinctly Australian feel to it, as does much of purplene’s sound. Along with acts like adam said galore, esn and others, purplene are yet another fine example of Australian acts taking on diverse influences to create their own sound.

It’s certainly true that purplene are going to appeal to some more than others – they’re more pop than the likes of adam said galore, and like esn they prove throughout ruining it for everybody that they’ve got an ear for a good pop hook, especially apparent on opener “The Warm Hand”. But, like both those acts, purplene are prepared to push the indie rock wagon a little bit further, incorporating variant moods, occasionally coming off like a sunnier version of labelmates deloris, or perhaps a more raucous and rocking art of fighting or Gersey. It comes off nicely, with a sweet balance of bluster and introspection combined expertly to create a compelling effect.

Occasionally, they push some darker material to the surface, as on “Early Bird Trouble” and “A Careful Life”, which build slowly to their momentous peaks and troughs of indie rock loveliness. With Blackman’s vocals stretching over his disjointed lyrics, which (as with all good indie rock record) could be about a lost love or perhaps a missing vinyl copy of Daydream Nation, additional instrumentation is used expertly, with Jeff Crawley and David Shannon providing trumpet and cello sounds respectively. On the latter half of the record, particularly “Slow Motion Waiter”, “All & Sundry”, and “The Entertainers” (with second guitarist Dave Ledlin taking lead vocals for the most part) the band again show their delicious pop hooks for all to see, laying down excellent tunes with melodies fully intact above the indie rock bluster.

But, really, it’s the more introspective tracks like “A Careful Life”, “Last Post”, “Magnitude”, “Shale of Gibralter” and the whopping fourteen minute closer “I Think I’ll Undo My Tie” (which goes throgu numerous changes, from pop song to experimental piece, and all the way back again) that sow what purplene are all about. There’s an aching yearning to Blackman’s voice on these tracks, while the guitars of both he and Ledlin chime and ring with added emphasis, while the rhythm section of Adam Jesson and David Hector keep it relatively simple. The guitars are certainly the focus, but they’re crucially not the be all and end all to purplene’s sound. Instead, it’s about the mood as much as anything, with each track attempting to carry a certain feeling to it.

There’s an intensity to a lot of the tracks on ruining it for everybody that a lot of bands seem to be missing, and it’s no surprise to learn that Blackman is also a member of the similarly excellent instrumental group ukiyo-e, with many of the tracks on purplene’s debut record building slowly to their climaxes in the same way that many of the tracks on ukiyo-e’s debut EP inland did. That’s not to say for one instant that purplene resemble ukiyo-e at all – instead, this band’s tracks deliver catchiness where ukiyo-e’s are all about the dynamics and the space where the notes are not played. It’s been a good year for Australian indie rock, and purplene’s debut album is another fine addition to a strong line-up for the year.