Father Deer HandsSad Souls Don’t Float Upstream (EP)

A band’s debut release can come with some pretty daunting decisions attached to it.

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Whilst some aim to carve out a unique sound that they may become locked into for future releases, others deliver a collection of tracks so diverse from one another allowing them to ultimately head in any direction they’d like for future releases.

Father Deer Hands have gone for the latter, with the group’s debut Sad Souls Don’t Float Upstream displaying an array of genre-hopping alternative emo tunes over just three tracks. Whilst the EP’s opener Feel The Low delivers a nostalgic pop-punk vibe with high pitched guitar harmonies and overlapping vocals that channel early Taking Back Sunday or Jimmy Eat World, the rest of the release aims for something a bit heavier. Adding in metalcore sweeps and post-hardcore riffs Sunlight Dance ups the ante quite a bit. Feeling closer to the likes of Bloom or Polaris, it’s a single that opens up the Sydney-siders to a whole new realm of their sound, with the introduction of melodic keys and a slower tempo really allowing for Matthew Betmalik’s mid-range screams to excel as they are spouted with a rapid dot-point style of delivery.

Whilst it’s evident that Father Deer Hands are still crafting out their sound, Sad Souls Don’t Float Upstream is a pretty incredible debut effort that offers a wealth of soundscapes that’ll be sure to keep any fan of alternative or heavy music entertained.

Bringing it all together is For The First Time In Years, a closer which aims to incorporate both sides of the bands eclectic sound, with open intervals that allow for the percussion to bellow out well placed fills and stripped back moments that allow the band is linger on certain notes giving it an evocative high octane feeling even though it has a slower time signature than its predecessor. Whilst it’s evident that Father Deer Hands are still crafting out their sound, Sad Souls Don’t Float Upstream is a pretty incredible debut effort that offers a wealth of soundscapes that’ll be sure to keep any fan of alternative or heavy music entertained.