Sturt Avenue - “How Much It Costs”
Photo by Alexander
From Adelaide, Australia, indie folk band Sturt Avenue have just released the remarkably chill sounds of “How Much It Costs,” a song about “the apathy that lets you fall into the grooves of an ordinary life,” instead of “pursuing the dream you had for yourself when you were still idealistic.”
The song first enters your ears with the soft strums an acoustic guitar, soon joined by the raw melody of a piano. The vibe is immediately soothing and melancholic, firmly securing its place within our folksy niche. The warm arrival of the bass brings with it the vocal performance of Bryn Soden, gentle and authentic as he delivers the soul-stirring lines of lyrics.
Leading into the refrain, the sonic landscape expands with the emergence of the drum kit and Soden’s upper register, and if this moment doesn’t instantly bring you to an introspective state, then nothing ever will. Careful listeners will find that midpoint invites a delightfully subdued vocal harmony, demonstrating the manner in which the song has been carefully mixed and mastered, with no element attempting to outshine another.
One of the reasons that we’ve found “How Much It Costs” so irresistible is its rich and robust arrangement, which should come as no surprise given the band’s extensive cast, including John, Soden’s father, and Tam, his sister, as well as Bryce Lehmann on drums, Isaac Kerr on bass, Sophia Dennis on saxophone, and Dave Thompson on keys. But the result is a sound that is vibrant and professional, all without the need for digital manipulation– it simply sounds as though the band is performing for you in your living room.
This is our first time hearing Sturt Avenue, but if “How Much It Costs” is indicative of the way that their future releases will sound, we hope that they send us every last one.