Big Scary Not Art

The Australian duo Big Scary can't be filed under a single genre. Track by track, their attack changes with each song’s requirements. It’s easy to fall in love with one song yet need to reset expectations for the next track. “Hello, My Name Is” chases a big rock sound worthy of Echo & The Bunnymen, whereas “Luck Now” follows with a mad experimentalism not far from Peter Gabriel’s line of vision. Another Genesis leader has a gorgeous song named for him. “Phil Collins” is a deep, purring noir track with a sound so muted it could have been the album closer. Instead, “Twin Rivers” wakes everyone up with its boxy drums and unison sing-along. Melbourne's Tim Iansek and Joanna Syme are true working chameleons. With the help of GRAMMY® winner Tom Elmhirst (Arcade Fire, Hot Chip, Amy Winehouse) mixing the results, Not Art is a diverse enigma of an album. This diversity has been greatly noted on home turf, where Not Art won the 2013 Australian Music Prize and received ARIA, J Award and AIR Awards nominations.