From the minute your ears clasp onto the opening track of “It’s You”, the debut longplayer from Melbourne’s Gold Class, you can hear why there have been comparisons to The Smiths and Joy Division, with the simple, melodic driving bass line right up front with Evan James Purdey’s jangly guitar dancing over the top.  Then as Adam Curley’s warm and slightly strangled vocals enter the mix, you could swear that you were transported back to a bleak London in the 1980s.

This sets the tone for the album.  Your ears settle in for the ride, but then the song ramps up a notch. Guitars switch to a higher power, the volume cranks and this band has grabbed me by the short and curlies, propelling me toward the next track.  It is this tinge of Australian garage weaved within the British melancholy that hooks me in and makes me take note.

The opening track along with the first single, Life is a Gun, cements Gold Class as a new band to keep an eye on.  Soft Delay is another standout track and the closer, Shingles (Stay A While), although a surprisingly stark departure from the main theme of this album, serves as the tastiest palate cleanser, readying the listener for another course.  With its empty piano and a gentler vocal approach, it is as a teaser of what is to come from this interesting new band.

The bulk  of “It’s You” has a similar tone, with tuneful yet slightly pared-back guitars and Morrissey-esque vocals warbling longingly over the surface.  Although I personally tire a little too easily of Curley’s vocal delivery, for those who love a melancholy tinge with a biting edge to their music, Gold Class will tick all of the boxes.  This is a first-class debut from an intelligent band who has honed their niche and is beautifully produced by Simon Grounds (GOD, Twerps).

Already capturing the hearts of Melbournians with their mesmerising live shows, and now with this slick release, I have little doubt that Gold Class will be the darlings of the Australian Underground within weeks.

It’s You is out now via Spunk Records (AUS) and felte (EU/US).

You can catch Gold Class on tour in the following Australian venues:

September 9 – BIGSOUND @ Ric’s Bar – Brisbane
September 24 – John Curtin Hotel (supporting The Garden) – Melbourne
October 9 – The Tote (album launch – w/ Deep Heat, Mollusc, The Shifters) – Melbourne
October 20 – The Zoo (supporting The Fall) – Brisbane
October 21 – Metro Theatre (supporting The Fall) – Sydney 
October 23 – Brighton Up Bar (album launch – supports TBA) – Sydney 

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