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Mar 10, 2021 Web Exclusive By Hayden Godfrey

Joe Agius, the Brisbane, Australia-based rocker with a friendly and unobtrusive presence, sports a voice that could conceivably fit into any richly constructed dream pop arrangement. With that malleability in tow, Wherever I Am, his first release under the name RINSE, is an airy, gentle effort with depth aplenty. Part shoegaze and part dream pop, the 18-minute EP is laced with bombastic beats and delicate changes, the likes of which come and go with ease.

From the delightfully melodic and jungly “Back Into Your Arms” (featuring regular collaborator Hatchie) to the soaring and dreamy “Without You,” Agius’ voice is well-suited to the starry-eyed arrangements that it exists within. On “What Hell I’m In,” a lush instrumental cacophony frames Agius’ light expression of longing (“All I know is we can go anywhere/All I know is we can go anywhere with you”). The fourth and final track, “Tamaryn (Wherever I Am),” features layered acoustic pads that create a feeling of flowing tenderness. Some of the tracks may appear to be lyrically dull and shallow, but the pedestrian wordplay isn’t impactfully detrimental to one’s overall enjoyment of the songs.

In terms of production, the entire mix is lifted considerably by Jorge Elbrecht (No Joy, Japanese Breakfast) and John Castle (Angie McMahon, Vance Joy), who, alongside Agius, construct rigid yet breathable atmospheres that are teeming with warmth.
It may not be the world’s most complex effort, but Wherever I Am shows that, with candor and charm, Agius’ new project is worthy of a second (or third) listen even for just the atmosphere. (www.rinseband.com)

Author rating: 7/10