Following the release of their exciting self-titled debut in 2017, Dumb Things have expanded to a quintet and returned stronger than ever. Singles ‘Crash Barrier’ and ‘Waiting Out’ gave us ample warning that this jangly force from the north were back, but it is within the context of an album that the work of Dumb Things truly shines. Each song on Time Again feels instantly familiar, yet multiple listens reveal a band with an uncanny knack for crafting original and interesting pop songs.

With contributions from three songwriters/vocalists, the album provides multiple perspectives on the sun-soaked Queensland life, yet remains tied together by the rich imagery and melancholic musings common to each track. Opener ‘Nights’ sets the tone perfectly with its driving rhythm and infectious guitar work as Adam Vincent forlornly quips at the pace of suburban life, a theme Dumb Things grapple with throughout the album. Despite these sombre themes, the album rarely strays from its sunny disposition, each track finding its own rattling groove to push things along.

Throughout the album, Dumb Things consistently and unashamedly stick to what they do best, each song defined by smooth guitar wrangling, precise drumming and a melodic suburban drawl. However, far from being a repetitive effort, the sonic consistency holds listeners captivated as each separate song shines.

A charming and impressive second effort, Time Again is an earnest reminder of just how good guitar-pop can be, proving Dumb Things may be a fair whack smarter than their name professes. We sent our investigators up north to chat to the band and dig a little deeper into each track, before they head down our way to launch the album this weekend.

Nights

This one is the oldest song on the record. We actually recorded it for the first record but it didn’t turn out so great. We thought it was a pretty solid song though and reworked it a bit and had another crack at it for Time Again.
 In a way, it’s a nice bridge from the first record to this one. Starting out with a bang but quickly switching to cruising speed, featuring a few slightly, tongue in cheek references to some classic Australian tunes. See if you can spot them all.

Crash Barrier


Highway driving seems to have a romantic, freeing feeling about it, but at the same time, you’re always driving past roadkill, broken crash barriers and roadside memorials. There’s a lot of both optimistic and sobering imagery. 'Crash Barrier' is an upbeat reminiscence about a sweltering summer road trip, interjected with these less lighthearted things. We wanted to keep a bit of the feel of the original home recording in the final track, so James’s guitar was recorded through an old two-watt cube practice amp - delivering a sound that only an old two-watt cube practice amp can deliver. 


Suburbs


‘Suburbs’ is about by seeing more and more of your friends moving back home, ostensibly just for a while, but usually always staying or settling down. Then, assessing your own living circumstances and coming to the realisation that moving back home is starting to feel more like a triumph than a defeat.



Today Tonight


'Today Tonight' is about riding the train home and pondering the connections between nature, capitalism, frozen dinners and love lost (like we all do, right..?) Adam’s guitar part makes this song, and Pat gave the chorus a kinda train-like feeling with the drums. The lead and the keys intertwine and then diverge towards the end, kind of like they split off onto different tracks.


Carpark Daydream


'Carpark Daydream' was written after a sudden gap in my life left me with a lack of urgency to get anywhere or do anything. I’d feel strangely stranded in the freedom machine that was my 2003 Corolla, watching everyone else pull out of the car park and into the golden hour commute. I could go anywhere, but too often would spend too long deciding where that might be.



Waiting Out


I had the chorus for this one kicking around for a while but couldn’t come up with lyrics for the verses. So, I decided to record a demo at home and just adlib the verses. It worked out pretty well in the end, because we kept them.


Fade Away


While we were recording 'Fade Away', Cam jumped up from his tweed office chair and said “I know just what this song needs!” A few minutes later he walked back in wearing a giant accordion. You can hear it through the choruses. The lyrics for this song are pretty simple, about missing someone and coming to terms with fading from their life. The contradictory thoughts had through this process are articulated pretty no-frills in the duelling vocal/backing vocal, “don’t let it fade away” and “everything fades away”.



 Easier Said


This was the last song written for the album -- to the point where the final structure was still being hammered out on the day we recorded it. Each lyric is a different image or scene collected during the year and stitched together in an attempt to evoke life in Brisbane circa 2017. The chorus recalls the difference between making life plans and actually following through with them.



Do It Again

Would buying a convertible make your commute to work less - or more - of an existential crisis? Having no life savings ensures that I will never know the answer to this question. 'Do It Again' was written during what felt like groundhog day. I was feeling stuck in a routine, doing the same thing but daydreaming of different results, and being too preoccupied to think about things like car maintenance or KPIs. The chords were taken from a bossa nova song I was learning ages ago - I don’t think they were really meant to be strummed as a whole chord, so this song sounds a little bit wrong, but a little bit ok anyway.


Time Again


This song came together pretty quickly. Adam had the lead in the first jam, Maddie had the slide in the second. An acute awareness of the passage of time in C major. The verses recount traditional cultural goalposts which contrast against the inevitability of time by the end of the song.