The music of Australia has often found a home in America (AC/DC, Little River Band, Vance Joy and more). Among the newest band to emerge from the country down under is indie pop group Sheppard. The trio of siblings (George, Amy and Emma Sheppard), along with three friends adding dimension to the trio (Jay Bovino, Michael Butler and Dean Gordon), create a unique mix of styles that work together cohesively on their first studio album Bombs Away.
Racing their way up the charts, Sheppard sits at 11 on the Australian Artist Charts on the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) and 31 on the U.S Billboard Music Charts. Their first official studio album gained popularity with their previously released single “Geronimo”, the first number one single to ever be recorded in Brisbane, Australia. The group’s popularity was helped by an opening gig for artist Meghan Trainor in her 2015 All About That Bass Tour.
The album is 12 tracks long and features the six person group using a variety of different techniques to craft their indie pop sound. Sections of tracks include completely acapella portions, lighthearted percussion, acoustic guitar and use of both male and female voices on different tracks. The professional musical training from the Sheppard siblings is very prominent in their ability to vocalize in harmonys flawlessly. Each song seems to be styled to each individual musician. All tracks are written by the Sheppard siblings, but every song seems to reflect a different personality while evening out into one indie pop style.
Some of the songs on the album seem to have a great amount of artistic thought put into their crafting while others lack that complexity. “Geronimo”, “Halfway to Hell”, and “Find Someone” offer a more interesting listen to the simpler songs like “Smile” and “A Grade Playa” that offer less of that complex listening experience. All in all, the album seems to be split and built with a funky mix of music that complements itself in some places, but is incohesive in other areas.
Sheppard’s first studio album offers something unique to the U.S music charts, but many of some of their tracks lack the creativity and uniqueness of others.
