BALL PARK MUSIC
About five or so minutes into Ball Park Music's debut album you get as crystal
clear an insight into this band as you could want. As Sam Cromack sings the line
"It's Nice To Be Alive" in that trademark laid-back melodic delivery
of his, you know he means it.
And why shouldn't he feel that
way? Over the past couple of years the Brisbane six-piece - Cromack with Jennifer
Boyce, Brock Smith, twins Dean and Daniel Hanson and Paul Furness - has emerged
seemingly out of nowhere to become not just one of the city's, but the country's
stand out new bands.
There's been the run of brilliantly clever
singles, the infectiously energetic live shows, and now Ball Park Music have delivered
in spades with their debut album - Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs.
No
one is probably more surprised by all this than the band. As Cromack freely admits,
Ball Park Music was something of a happy accident. Literally thrown together in
a university classroom, the band's members never expected to be making music together
- there was no plan. But somehow it's worked…and then some.
Led
by songwriter Cromack, the band has become a cohesive creative unit that seems
to effortlessly know what it takes to make great music. And the fact they've nailed
the album probably won't come as much of a surprise to those who've followed the
band's emergence.
First hitting Brisbane stages in 2008, they
quickly turned out their debut EP Rolling On The Floor, Laughing Ourselves To
Sleep which instantly put them on the national radar. Then came the follow up
2010 EP Conquer The Town, Easy As Cake which spawned arguably one of the most
irresistible Australian tracks of 2010 in the form of the single 'iFly'.
That
song was just the start though, with a brace of tunes including 'Sad Rude Future
Dude', 'Rich People Are Stupid' and, more recently, new single 'It's Nice To Be
Alive' all picking up rotation on national broadcaster triple j. That station
went on to name Ball Park Music a 'Next Crop' Act in 2010 with the band invited
to perform at a very special Ausmusic Month party presented and broadcast by the
station.
It's airplay that has been the catalyst for a touring
regime that's never really let up. Aside from sell-out dates in their home town,
they've performed with the likes of Boy & Bear, Cloud Control, Hungry Kids
of Hungary, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Eagle and The Worm and Big Scary amongst
others, while winning plenty of new fans through sets at the Gold Coast Big Day
Out, Falls Festival, Southbound, Sunset Sounds and Good Vibrations festivals.
The band even headed to Asia recently after being invited to play at Music Matters
(Singapore) and the CAMA festival in Vietnam.
But the big picture
for Ball Park Music was always about making their debut long-player. Recorded
over six months with Brisbane producer Matt Redlich (Hungry Kids of Hungary) Happiness
and Surrounding Suburbs was driven by a process of refinement. By taking their
time, the band was able to wring the most out of the tracks - there was no rush,
just a desire to get it right. The record has also given Cromack the chance to
stretch his wings as a writer.
Swaggering between the quirky
and quietly reflective - much like a young Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) - he
brings a sly sense of social commentary to the songs. His goal was to craft much
more than just a collection of catchy radio tunes. While the singles knock you
out first time, the album has plenty of moments where you want to - and can -
dig deeper. What marks those tracks across Happiness… is a sense of restraint.
Sure, there are six people in the band, but never are the songs cluttered or overcooked.
It's clever pop writing at its best and a record that marks just the beginning
for a band with a future that's bigger than just bright.
And
now the fun really begins. With the record out September 2011 through Stop Start/EMI
Ball Park Music will be seeing the inside of plenty of vans, venues and festivals
over the coming months.
Like their songs, life for Ball Park
Music is about to be anything other than dull.
'Happiness
& Surrounding Suburbs' is available now.
