Opposite Sex “Opposite Sex”

Even after consuming, digesting and revisiting the debut album from Gisborne/Dunedin trio, Opposite Sex for over a month, I still feel torn by indecision and uncertainty as I write this. With each successive listen, rather than the warmth of familiarity, I instead am left with a sense of uneasy wonder over a record of duality and uniqueness. Here, over the course of thirteen off-kilter compositions, the listener is continually challenged and kept on edge. Their sound simultaneously welcoming and alienating, Opposite Sex have created a manic, ever-progressing experiment of peculiar pop, with reference points as disparate as the Pixies, the Minutemen, Abbey Road era Beatles and no-wave funk rock (if such a thing even exists.)

Opening with the woozy waltz of ‘Sea Shanty’, its carnival-esque melody innocent yet subversively sinister, with vocalist Lucy Hunter establishing herself as a haunting and atmospheric presence; conjuring images reminiscent of Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea” in the hopelessness yet ultimate companionship of her underwater tale. A gifted and inventive musician, Hunter’s dexterous, percussive and restless bass playing is an undulating propulsive force throughout, capable of both holding the melody (‘Dada Creep’) and setting a driving groove upon which hyper lead guitarist Fergus Taylor can layer his liquid, Seventies-styled guitar workouts (‘The Bones Of Dr White’).

‘The middling duo of Vague Notion’ and ‘Master Slave’ provide a brief moment of calm within the album’s frequently tumultuous sea. ‘Notions’ grinding, yet relaxed pace allowing the restrained melodies space to be repeated and revisited, a surprisingly uncommon occurrence on an album bursting with pop hooks and leads abandoned just as soon as they are created.

A perplexing, disarming but ultimately fascinating listen. [B+]

Download the album via Bandcamp