“Reflections. Looking inwards and backwards.” That’s how Caleb Harper, lead singer of Spacey Jane, summed up the premise of their new album ‘If That Makes Sense’.
And exactly that it does. 27th of May, Spacey Jane hit the stage after a year-long hiatus from live performances, an emotional return to the stage for the band. Fans have missed the group of four, and they’ve made their return with, dare I say, one of their best albums yet. After the release of their new album in May of this year, ‘If That Makes Sense’ marked another major milestone for the band: meaningful music, heartfelt storytelling, and yet another successful album that deals with self-expression.
‘If That Makes Sense’ looks “inwards and backwards” in every way. Not only is music used as a means of storytelling for the band, but drives listeners into the experience of love, loss, and navigating it all in this thing that we call life. Spacey Jane has always worn their hearts on their sleeves, and this time, the depths of personal struggle and growth have well and truly stolen the show.
Opening with ‘Intro’, the short but luminescent sequence of rhythms, Spacey captures the light that is found at the end of a tunnel, hinting at the turmoil and journey that is about to be unravelled in the tracks to come. With the eventual fade into ‘Through My Teeth’, the mix in of eventual guitar riffs and a heavy, breathe in, breathe out, Harper prepares to share the struggles of adulthood, and living up to the expectations of who you are ‘supposed’ to be. My shining star on the album, ‘Estimated Delivery’, stole my heart the second I heard it. It perfectly captures the slow-burn, melancholy feelings of a relationship falling apart, and coming to terms with accepting yourself and the situation. Dealing with the inescapability of recognising that person in everything you do, in everything you see, with Peppa’s voice beaming through its final verse like a breath of fresh air. Songs like ‘Whateverrrr’ and ‘Ily the Most’ are classic emblems of Spacey Jane’s signature style of music, with their unique ability to translate gut-wrenching lyrics into an up-beat and dancing rhythm. The album was an immediate success, with ‘All the Noise’ gaining over 5.7 million streams to date.
Saturday night, 14th of June, I sardined my way in with the rest of the fans, sandwiched between my two best friends as we stood waiting for Spacey. Sure enough, ‘Intro’ filled the space, with fans begging for more, before the band finally took the stage. Classics like ‘Hardlight’ and ‘Thrills’ had the crowd ecstatic, whilst ‘It’s Been A Long Day’ had us join in with the swaying of our phone torches. We became one with the band, responding to their stories with our own. But, now that I’ve mentioned it, let’s quickly talk about this musical triumph (pull my arm why don’t you). ‘It’s Been A Long Day’ tugs at heartstrings like no other, and is a heartbreakingly good anthem about, you guessed it, a breakup. The repeated lyrics of “I’ve got something to say” hints at the idea of wanting to say everything and nothing all at once; the ability of speech that is robbed from you when faced with miscommunication and differences. Your stomach will inevitably sink when listening to this song, but that’s the real beauty of it.
The small indie band from Western Australia has inevitably dealt with imposter syndrome. Success is often met with scepticism, and these breadcrumbs of vulnerability radiate through their new music. Harper opened up during the concert, “Our very first performance was at the Bellevue Hotel,” he said, “and now we’ve sold out three nights at the Hordern.” The crowd erupted in cheers of support, and for a moment the room stopped. In January 2020, Spacey Jane’s ‘Booster Seat’ finished at number 2 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 Countdown. Spacey’s hit was predicted to win by a milestone, and its place at number 1 would’ve been considered a crowning of a homegrown, Australian track. Despite what some would describe as an “absolute robbery”, Spacey Jane has managed to tie together yet another beautifully human album.
It’s no secret that Australian music and artists have been on the decline within the last couple of decades, with live music venues struggling to stay open, and therefore, causing a lack of support for the artists. This decline is not about the quality of work, as proved by many of our local artists, but rather the increasingly globalised music market. Rising costs, noise complaints, and change in audience behaviours have all impacted the ways in which our local venues operate. With the loss of many launching pads for these new talents, Australian music and artists are something that will inevitably struggle to stay alive.
With this being said, go support your local artists — buy that ticket, go to that gig, grab a beer and have a boogie! More importantly, keep Australian music alive. And, of course, go listen to Spacey’s new album if you haven’t already.
Spacey Jane, we’ll think of you forever.
