Greetings, gentle readers. Before the review, a personal note. I come to you today from a place of great happiness and contentment, as I celebrate my wedding anniversary this weekend with my lovely wife, S.
Thanks for being the absolute best life partner a man could ever wish for, darling.
OK, on with the music.
Disc 1814 is…How to Socialise & Make Friends
Artist: Camp Cope
Year of Release: 2018
What’s up with the Cover? Frontwoman Georgia Maq is too cool to ride in the car with rest of the band, but everyone looks to be having a lot of fun with her antics. While I’m sure riding untethered on the roof of a moving car is totally safe, I must warn you about that cigarette, Georgia! Cigarettes cause cancer!
How I Came To Know It: I read a review of this record and decided to check it out. I liked what I heard and ended up a fan of the band.
How It Stacks Up: I have all of Camp Cope’s records, but that’s only three. They have now broken up, so barring an unexpected reunion, three is all there is going to be. “How to Socialise & Make Friends” is my second favourite, despite the presence of that repulsive and unnecessary ampersand in its title (use your words!).
As this is the last Camp Cope album to review, here is the full recap:
- Running with the
Hurricane: 3
stars (reviewed at Disc 1581)
- How to Socialise & Make Friends: 3 stars (reviewed
right here)
- Self-Titled: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 1722)
Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4
“How to Socialise & Make Friends” is a downer, but downer albums can be beautiful too.
On their sophomore record, Camp Cope double down on their unique indie rock/throwback eighties Goth sound and create a record that is both emotionally raw and thoughtful. It’s hard to stay thoughtful when you are feeling the feels as much as singer Georgia Maq is on this record, but they manage it. Even in the depths of despair, Maq is able to find the artistic space to critique both an unkind world, and her own place in it.
The album starts with the viscerally angry “The Opener”. If you believe that anger is one of the seven deadly sins, then expect Camp Cope to sin a lot on this tune. Maq sings about the unfair treatment of women by gaslighting boyfriends, soulless record execs, and condescending concert promoters. She takes a shot at pretty much every man who has ever done anything shitty ever and then hulked off into the darkness, oblivious to the harm he’d done. If you’re a dude and find this song offensive then congratulations – it is probably about you.
I should note at this point that everything is cathartic when sung by Georgia Maq. She possesses a ‘blow down the walls of Constantinople’ kind of vocal power. Her voice is the kind of wind that can wreck ships, and topple trees, deep, raw and coming from some deep well of hurt and hellfire most singers simply can’t plumb.
If you’re angered out after the “Opener” don’t worry, a few songs later you can wallow in the sadness of lost love on “Anna”. It starts with:
“She packed all her
bags and went on her way
Back to Adelaide
The cat's been crying out
Wandering all alone around the house, saying
I really hope you're happy where you are now”
As if the breakup wasn’t hard, Georgia, but did you have to bring the cat’s separation anxiety into it? You can’t even explain to the cat why Anna’s no longer around. Maybe the best metaphor available for love lost. Sometimes it just fucking happens, and cry all you like the universe isn’t going to give you any explanation for it.
A big part of what makes Camp Cope exceptional is the bass guitar work of Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich and she is at her best on this record. Hellmrich is the perfect complement to Georgia Maq, playing big, round notes loaded with emotional undertow. You need a low and powerful counter to Maq, lest the record descend into melodrama. Hellmrich is the balance holding things together at the low end, and around which the vocals can orbit.
There are times when the record can veer toward the maudlin, and while the talents of the band are sufficient to hold things on the road most of the time, listening to this record full-through is an experience, and not always an easy one.
The over-sharing is brave and has the flavour of that weird girl in your Grade 9 class who’s always writing poetry during English class. But then you befriend her and get to read those poems and realize, “holy shit, these are really fucking good.” That’s Camp Cope.
Best tracks: The Opener, Anna, The Omen, UFO Lighter
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