Description
New faces in the street are ones to remember
by Annie Johnsson
Faces In The Street is a new Melbourne based Folk trio who are originally born of the acoustic duo The Keynes Brothers.
Their debut LP ‘Bring Back Tomorrow’, out on March 21, marks their transition from acoustic origins to a more progressive Indie Folk genre, and their expansion from a two piece to a trio.
Founded by John Fraser (vocals/guitar) and Rowan Cole (vocals/mandolin/guitar/mandola), the Keynes Brothers drew inspiration from folk, rock, and country blues.
Fraser and Cole have co-written an extensive catalogue of songs exploring life’s challenges, the human condition and the power of hope and perseverance.
In 2024, the pair were joined by John Zak (bass/guitar/synth) who brought country, swamp blues and Latin jazz influences into the band’s repertoire.
Faces in the Street is the natural evolution of a band that remains focused on storytelling and vocal harmonies within an evocative soundscape of acoustic and electric instrumentation.
The band name was taken from Henry Lawson’s poem of the same name.
‘Bring Back Tomorrow’ provides a window into the past decades’ life journeys and observations of songwriters John Fraser and Rowan Cole.
The album was produced by Cameron McKenzie and recorded at Station Place Studios, Glenhuntly, Victoria, except for ‘Old to New’, which was engineered by Craig Newman and recorded at Dewey Studios, Moorabbin, Victoria.
‘Bring Back Tomorrow’ highlights the impacts of socio political change viewed through a personal, reflective lens.
The songs provide insights, hope, and optimism in challenging times.
The album opener, ‘It’s Not Me’, is a breezy acoustic song exploring the effects of group think on an unsuspecting community, and features the bass and cello from Cameron McKenzie.
The title track up next follows a similar theme.
The protagonist lamenting the dangers of echo chambers, this time captured in a fast paced folky style.
‘Hope’ is a more personal song, a beautifully crafted and evocative story of relationships and the impact of time, while ‘Lifters and Leaners’ is a thoughtful portrayal of the horrors of neoliberalism and how it can leave people behind.
‘Time Machine’, set to a resonant mariachi beat, is about the power of music to evoke strong memories and help overcome the challenges that all people face, while ‘Hope You’re Ok’ is a lilting consideration of the challenge of modern relationships.
The suffering of ordinary people during the global financial crisis is the subject of the next track, ‘House Falling Down’.
‘It’s For Free’, with its country swing rhythm, is a tale of how fear can imprison hearts, and how human relationships can be reduced to the status of transactions.
The final two tracks, ‘Old To New’, a mournful insight into climate grief, and ‘Together’, a stark commentary on neoliberalism, set to an acoustic soundscape of light and dark colours, are both a call to action in dangerous times.
‘Bring Back Tomorrow’ indeed.
