Review: The Nagging Doubts – “Autocalm”

Scenic Drive – 21 April 2021

Sydney based five-piece The Nagging Doubts craft a compelling post-punk sound with Autocalm.

Autocalm is the latest release from Australian five piece The Nagging Doubts. The titular choice is derived from a 1960’s pharmaceutical advert and the seven tracks probe the vicissitudes of going forth into the world and the navigational challenges that ensue.  The band fashion a soundscape of bright yet washed out reverb, which simultaneously encapsulates a sense of angst and uncertainty.  The mood is one of a somewhat apprehensive but also excitable wanderlust. It is a broad reaching record that manages to interpolate the brooding spikiness of post-punk within the winsome delicacy of indie-pop and the expansive sonics of shoe gaze. 

These are nuanced songs, each working its way through a number of sections with largely seamless interaction. However there are interstitial whorls of jagged sonics that sit beneath the polished exterior. The generally lustrous oscillatory rhythms are tempered by melancholic interludes and slightly atypical arrangements. 

Things kick off with “Through a Glass Darkly pt 1.” which brings together a gentle Indie flecked whimsy with a rhythmic muscularity. The space afforded by the vocals and jangly guitar allows the driving bass and drums to invigorate and propel the track. Such deployment of tight yet fluid interplay from the rhythm section is a real strength across Autocalm. 

Shot in the Dark sets reflective almost self recriminatory lyrics against a sunny backdrop, reminiscent of the vibrancy of a band like Sacred Paws.  ‘I had a look at what I’m made of and there’s not much there at all.’ Such moments of lyrical exploration are indicative of the appropriateness of the bands name, given that everything musically is delivered with confidence.

“Marine” is a highly atmospheric song that utilises the interaction between both vocalists to great effect. It is an undulatory track which builds on the initial sound of lapping waves and is subsequently awash with delayed guitar notes and splashy cymbals. The gradual increase in tempo manages to capture the ebb and flow of an ocean that transitions from muted calm into a choppier altogether more tumultuous environment. 

On closing track, “The Storm” the instrumentation teeters on the edge of discordance in a sort of melodious jumble before being brought back together for a crisp and decisive final section. The horn lines border on jazz-like and the vocal is powerful if a touch frantic. It is an intriguing and innovative endpoint to a release that has moments of inventiveness woven throughout.

Autocalm showcases a sophisticated approach to constructing songs, one that while heavily immersed in the influences of bands such as Joy Division or The Cure, is allusive rather than imitative. It is a snapshot of a group whose cohesion is evident and who have enmeshed themselves within a sound that is both tantalising and strangely timeless. There is much to be enthused about on this record and it hints at the further development of a band who are in the process of crafting a dynamic and idiosyncratic sound.