Following on from the release of their debut EP Everything I Remember last August, Close In have returned with a new taste of where their burgeoning sound may be heading next. While their debut release was anchored by a looming and restless energy - understandably, the EP was created in the midst of Melbourne’s lockdowns - ‘All This Time’ immediately feels lighter, lush with swelling guitars, gleaming keys and a propulsive groove.

Blossoming open with a flurry of guitar chimes, ‘All This Time’ is quick to reveal itself as a more expansive take on Close In’s former sound. While not entirely removed from the anxiety and contemplation of their debut, there’s a wistfulness that permeates the track - the performances are still tightly wound with an icy darkwave edge, but James Nicklen’s brooding vocals are potent with emotion, stretching out evocatively at every refrain. The layers continue to amount as the track charges on, as the group’s interlocking musicianship creates an atmospheric tangle that could overwhelm the listener if it wanted to. But instead, Close In opt to keep us at an elusive arm’s length, allowing ‘All This Time’ to slink off enigmatically at its conclusion which somehow keeps us all the more enthralled.

Speaking about the track, James shares “the song considers some of the inadequacies of memory, and the way we (I) can sometimes feel disoriented and overwhelmed by it; but might ultimately be one of the more hopeful songs we’ve recorded to date, both in terms of its lyrics, as well as the ‘brighter’ sonic territory that it ventures into. It gives some sense of where the band might be headed musically, as well as marking a transition: from writing remotely and playing in practice spaces to being a more organically collaborative band and sharing our songs in long-missed venues around town. “