Toronto-based gloom-pop outfit Austra is currently getting a whole lot of attention. Their debut full-length album Feel It Break is gonna drop any day now, and anyone standing by salivating is doing so in good company. I cannot wait.
The group is formed by vocalist Katie Stelmanis, percussionist Maya Postepski and bassist Dorian Wolf –Â the first two band members you may or may not recall from Toronto-based queer riot grrrl band, Galaxy.
Austra don’t feel the need to be labeled, okay? Their music won’t slide neatly into any one genre and so we’ve been making up new ones, most commonly ‘operatic dance’ and ‘gloom-pop’. Both fit perfectly. Stelmanis’ gothic vocal style is spellbinding and melodramatic, but never overbearing – she’s perfectly balanced with Wolf and Postepski’s chunky synthy dancey beats.
Feel It Break is one of the most interesting and addictive records I’ve heard this year, and right now the champs at NPR are streaming it in its entirety. Get onto it now before I wear out their music player. Seriously.
Feel It Break will be released on May 17. Pre-order your copy here.
Check out Austra’s strange new music video for the track “Lose It” below.
