Australian musician Pete Moses’ pop collective, President Street, has been making waves since their first music releases and this has continued with first EP, Involuntary Actions. The title derives from Pete’s instinctive and ‘involuntary’ actions of making music; there’s nothing else he could do.
Involuntary Actions has the feel of music that has been created by collaboration and this is exactly what it is. President Street is described as a collective, not a band which gives the music the chance to shine. Creator Peter Moses is the only constant, with others joining as and when and the result is something that feels exciting and new.
Lead single, ‘Yeah, I Know’, is a song about betrayal in relationships, a much trodden path for musicians but in this case, sounds entirely new, documenting the stages of betrayal in three acts. The first act of ‘suspicion’ grabs your attention with its haunting keys, hypnotic guitars and fluid vocals, then moving into ‘acceptance’ the second is comprised of heartfelt lyrics and a smooth bass line, and the third act showcases pure anger, an emotion heard both instrumentally and lyrically. The listener feels that emotion is an important part of Pete’s song writing and it’s easy to feel the emotional layers of ‘Yeah, I Know’.
Before you read on, President Street is giving a FREE download of “Yeah I Know”, to Angry Baby readers. If you’re not already subscribed to Angry Baby, just pop the email address that you’d like it delivered to here and it will be on its way to you straight away, together with a bumper collection of music that has been shared by Angry Baby. The music comes from outstanding artists that you may not have heard before. With a mix of rock, pop, folk…you name it…there’s bound to be something new that floats your musical boat, and all for free! What’s not to like about that?!
Involuntary Actions is a five track EP that focuses on relationships, from the lows of ‘Yeah, I Know’ to the relative highs of finding new love on ‘IGK’. The lyrics and music marry together so well that the emotional connection is there from the start; you find yourself rooting for this guy right from the beginning. Pulsing rhythms and pop / rock sounds engage throughout, with ‘I Gotta Move On‘ using 80’s pop rock sounds to give a rockier edge whilst at the same time, managing to sound new and exciting.
This carries on into the remaining tracks, with ‘Looking For A Sign‘ being the stand out track. The lyrics tell of moving on from loss and betrayal but needing a sign to actually make the jump and believe in yourself. “It’s where I’m here inside my mind” shows us that moving on with a positive attitude is all in the mind and something that can be applied to all sorts of issues, not just relationships. It’s good to hear this emphasis on the mental health side of things as that is still the problem that holds us back. Along with ‘Forward Stride’, ‘Looking For A Sign’ is an upbeat, high energy track. The EP finishes up with a raw look at new love. There is a soulful sounds to this track and as with the other four tracks, leaves the listener thinking.
Pete’s advice to young musicians reflects his untrained musical background and his work ethic of making it on his own:
Honestly: most of the clichés exist for a reason. I think having the strength to walk your own path and not try to replicate is crucial – but a bloody difficult thing to do. Also, it’s a D.I.Y world our there, so you gotta get across a lot of different things these days – and writing music is just one of them!
Involuntary Actions was released on April 13th. Get your copy here.
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