Ah, summer. That unique moment where we share our life with the people closest to us. Walks, concerts, beer, conversations, happiness. Those unique road trips where a smile hangs in the air in everything that moves. Where we want to hug, kiss, jump.
With this motto, sometimes the doubts appear – or, better, the golden doubt – because we all want something bigger for our lives. At the end of the day, we would like to live that moment forever, but that only happens in fairy tales.
But today we have found a way to solve our problems. They are fresh, young – and with an ability to reflash us to our innermost depths. We grabbed our bundles and set off to discover Melbourne, Australia. Meet Quivers and their latest album.
Golden Doubt
The Australian band is made up of Bella Quinlan, Holly Thomas, Sam Nicholson, and Michael Panton. The synergy is evident, to the point where it feels like they’ve been part of our lives forever.
Yes, we’re not lying: you see those long-time friends of ours that we see from time to time but it feels like we were with them yesterday? Say no more, the Quivers are that kind of band. The music is genuine – and it shows in the smiles we see in photos and videos. We definitely want to hug them.
And the band’s name stands out exactly for everything we’ve talked about before: because, when we look it up in the dictionary, we see that quivers mean “to shake slightly, often because of strong emotion“. I think we have already conveyed thousands of emotions in little more than six paragraphs, right?
This is the third album of the set after We’ll Go Riding On The Hearses, in 2018, and Out Of Time, 2021, where they comb through the album with the same name, by the mythical band R.E.M.
“Golden Doubt” unfolds over forty minutes, divided into ten charms.
We start with “Gutters of Love” – and the powerful vocals of the ensemble grab our hearts within the very first seconds. It’s so beautiful it makes you smile and repeat immediately.
Last week we talked about Inhaler and the pure rock song “When it Breaks“, which makes any room tremble because of the many decibels it throws into the air. We have a calmer song, catchy and in a sui generis folk-pop that makes us want to tap our feet with the Australian version.
“Hold You Back” is genius – and that genius comes through in the fresh, sexy rhythm that would make the biggest bands in the alternative rock world blush.
“Nostalgia Will Kill You?” maybe, but this challenge grows on us gradually, with a beat that beats intensely in our hearts.
In the middle of this adventure, we turn to alternative methods of medicine – and it is with “Chinese Medicine” that we feel totally relaxed, being able to feel everything and everyone in the purest possible way.
“You’re Not Always on My Mind“, one of the flagships of this record, definitely reminds us of Michael Stipe and company. The feeling of nostalgia and reminiscing about the band is noticeable – and makes it all beautiful to die for.
“Videostores” may no longer exist, but they’ve been left pristine on this song. A way to remember all our childhood movies in one song.
We do a lot of “Overthinking” in everything we set, right? So take that for a song that seems to concisely hit our consciousness in a melancholic and wholesome way. A delight.
“Laughing Water” maintains the band’s usual register, with a rhythm that makes us feel like a child again.
We close with the piano. And it is on the piano that “Golden Doubt” appears. Everything becomes more serious, direct and in reflection format with the beating of the keys. And everything is right when the format is right. It’s a beautiful song, one of the best of the year.
We know we are far from Melbourne, but we found the perfect soundtrack for that summer walk through Arrábida, Setúbal, Portugal. The breeze, accompanied by an amazing view and a piece of music that promise to not leave us indifferent.
And that’s what Quivers have brought us, not a Golden Doubt but definitely a Golden Certainty: because they are brilliant, and the album is indeed amazing. A WtMM recommendation.