5/10
With the shoegaze movement starting to rear its ever-evolving head throughout the underground music scene here in the UK, it seems that the news has also spread down-under as Aussie four-piece Nite Fields introduce us to their own take on the gloomy yet beautiful resonance of the genre. Hailing from the sun-kissed city of Brisbane, the band have clearly been keeping themselves in the shadows as their debut album 'Depersonalisation' seems to have tapped into the darker side of Australian music culture.
With its use of strangled guitars and murmuring vocals, Nite Fields certainly know how to create an atmosphere. Whether it be a bleak and solemn depression or an uplifting and beautiful sonnet, this album aims to create an overall feeling of mystique that helps the record from disappearing too far into its clearly introverted self. The title itself, 'Depersonalisation', adds to the evident feeling the band are looking to inflict, separating themselves from the emotions in their music so that all you are left with is a feeling of hopeful woe.
While it makes for an interesting listen, they still haven't got that edge that will help them stand out in this now over-saturated industry. Their direction is clear and has purpose, but without much to take away from this debut, they are in danger of slipping right through the net on their first attempt.