by Heather Williams (@heatermeow)
There's something special about an album hitting right away as monumental and letting there be time to deeply listen and think about why an album stays with you. This time, for me, it is Possible Humans' album Everybody Split that's become a companion through a full year of seasons and massive upheavals. I remember blasting this to stay calm while driving through the rolling hills of Upstate NY to bring groceries to a sick friend early on in the pandemic. It is an album marked with learning to live with uncertainty.
Possible Humans is a five-piece band out of Melbourne, Australia for those that love guitars and driving bass lines. Everybody Split is their first full length album that was initially released in April 2019 as a small run of 200 records by Melbourne based label Hobbies Galore. This initial run was followed by a US and worldwide release in August by Trouble in Mind Records based out of Chicago, IL.
"Lung of the City" starts off the album with a sweet ramble into the transformative guitar flourishes of the chorus, bringing a feeling of cautious elation, of warming up and opening up. Chiming, jangling guitars create a sweet amalgamation of both cherished dissonance and harmony. The powerfully brooding and driving bass lines throughout this album are like another vocalist in the mix, telling it's own story within the songs.
“The Thumps” is the classic and imitable song on this album. It’s tightly wound around the center with the bass taking it further and further out into a wide circle of sound. The galloping instruments make it feel like a race against time. The “Absent Swimmer” commanding outro is layers upon layers of sound building into a moment of depth and strength with a wildly abrupt ending that sounds so right.
One of the most powerful moments in this album is “Stinger” into the immensely beautiful “Born Stoned.” I dare you to pop these two on and go for a ride. Let that "DING" at the beginning of “Born Stoned” let you know it is time to strap in because you are about to be transported to another level. There are times when I've listened to this song that I want it to go on for hours and to just keep driving. When the guitars start to wind down, the song opens up wide with the repeated triumphant lyrics "I was born to be around" which is one of the most affirming moments in the album. A simple statement in response to uncertainty about where we go from here. We are so lucky this was caught on record. It will give back to the listener over and over for years to come.