by Conor Lochrie (@conornoconnor)
It makes a lot of sense when you discover that the founding members of Melbourne-based band Screensaver first met in Berlin: the glare and gloom of their post-punk and new wave style is indebted to that city in the late 70’s and 80’s. Originally a long-distance collaboration between Austin’s Christopher Stephenson (EXEK, Spray Paint) and Melbourne’s Krystal Maynard (Bad Vision), when they both found themselves in the Australian city in 2019, they were joined by Giles Fielke and James Beck to form the current Screensaver lineup.
Their debut album, Expressions Of Interest, arrived via Heavy Machinery and the UK’s always-reliable Upset The Rhythm (Kaputt, Trash Kit, Buffet Lunch). Screensaver slide in perfectly into that post-punk roster, although they’re far more indebted to a bygone period of the genre than their contemporaries. Their dark post-punk is powered by motorik drumming and shiny synths in equal measure, every track boundless with dynamism.
The opener, “Body Parts,” is a classic example of this, quintessentially belonging to that 70’s/80’s period. It propels the listener into the thick of proceedings immediately, with no easing in. The incessant and chaotic “No Movement” then follows, a haunting and stalking track; “Attention Economy” utilizes a similar rhythmic pattern, recalling the cold and caustic interplay heard on Joy Division’s Closer. Maynard’s vocals truly belong to the era the band is so clearly enamored with too, her delivery tight and assured, sounding like she’s concurrently being zapped by an electric wire as she snarls the lyrics. Her delivery, aided by the machine-esque drumming and battering guitars, creates a suffocating atmosphere.
Screensaver allows slivers of sun through the gloomy exterior. “Static State” sounds like a delirious disco taking place in an underground Berlin club or perhaps even a hotspot in a little Arctic Circle city. The electro beat of “Buy Sell Trade” is mesmeric in its repetitive and zooming synths. The closing track, “Soft Landing,” is a gentle comedown after the intensity of before, a fitting title for a fitting end.
An anxious and agitated listen, Screensaver sound assured on their debut, using their genre influences wisely to create an unnerving and unsettling atmosphere. It might be moody, yes, the listener might feel uneasy, certainly, but it’s also eminently danceable, which is key.