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Mar 23, 2022 Issue #69 - 20th Anniversary Issue By Caleb Campbell

Melbourne trio Camp Cope made their names on feverish indie rock, exploring melancholy and anger in equal measure, but they’ve also already begun pushing at those boundaries. Frontwoman Georgia Maq followed their 2018 breakthrough with a solo record of shimmering synth pop, and the band’s latest evolution shares that same wistful core. Whereas their previous record opened with acerbic lyricism and screams, Running With the Hurricane opens with “Caroline,” a softly thrumming ballad featuring gently swelling melodies and starry-eyed lyrical gems.

Much of the record operates in this same warmhearted lane, coloring the band’s usual intensity with shades of 2000s radio rock and ’90s country. Maq’s vocals are joined with sweet harmonies on tracks like “Blue” and “Jealous,” while the rollicking title track is burnished by jangling saloon pianos. Even the band’s softer material sees new additions, offering fresh depth to their most intimate moments, such as the resonant horns coloring “One Wink At a Time” and the soaring piano balladry of “Sing Your Heart Out.”

Amidst all of the album’s polished beauties, the band does lose some of their previous intensity. Though there are a few bursts of freewheeling euphoria, there’s no moment as meteoric as Maq’s iconic “Show em’ Kelly” on “The Opener.” Still, the band’s fundamental elements continue to shine. Georgia Maq’s voice is one of the best in indie rock, but equally central are Kelly-Dawn Helmrich’s loping melodic basslines and Sarah Thompson’s steady drumming. When they all come together, the results are truly special, and Running With the Hurricane offers enticing glimpses of a more settled band, one teeming with soft hope and resolute joy. (www.campcope.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10