Keep On Dancin's - Houston

Photo by Brad Marsellos

First impressions can be deceptive. When a bunch of MP3s hit my inbox from a band called Keep on Dancin's, I could perhaps be forgiven for expecting something along the lines of a '70s tribute act,  complete with bell-bottom flares and ridiculous party wigs.

Mercifully, this is a shoegaze blog and the reality is that Keep on Dancin's are an entirely more restrained affair... Indeed, debut album The End of Everything fuses lo-fi surf rock with articulate dream pop to produce a sound more comparable to Mazzy Star and Widowspeak. 

Opening track, Summertime, is a clear statement of intent. A crackle of Psychocandy chord strokes evolves into a smog of sun-soaked pop. It's delicious, evocative and conjures memories of the very best in shoegaze.

Elsewhere, desolate minimalism (Keep on Dancin) jostles with Lynchian soundscapes (Your Love is Mine) to produce a record offering immediacy and promise in equal measure. There are moments of real intrigue too, not least in the slowcore doo-wop of Elvis - a Wurlitzer hit from a parallel '50s. And whilst the tempo is raised for the giddy jangle of Beetlehead and There Goes Your Guy, you sense it's melancholy (notably the heartbreak optimism of Sweet Baby) that Keep on Dancin's do best.

The album climaxes with our featured track, Houston. A tale of infedelity, love and loss, told to a backdrop of aching tremolo and a sharp, beatific fuzz. It's an absorbing centrepiece and the band's marquee moment, thus far.

For now, Keep On Dancin's may be little known outside of their native Australia; but like all well-kept secrets, it's only a matter of time before somebody tells...

To stream or purchase the band's music, visit their Bandcamp page.