All Our Exes Live in Texas: When We Fall

If only all of our local artists today would join forces as Australian band All Our Exes Live in Texas did to create their debut album, perhaps, then, the local, live music industry would blow up once more. Instead, we are stuck busying ourselves with Spotify and streaming music, struggling to keep up with the ever-changing world of art. These ladies, however, turn the clock back a few decades, to the days of simplistic, heartfelt music, and raw, endearing talent. With their delicate voices and charming, lighthearted tunes, the Exes manage to pull off an indie-folk album that is somewhere on the spectrum between country girl and badass.

While the music itself is upbeat, the message behind the lyrics is quite absurd, yet never despondent. The Exes sing cheerfully, “I’m going to get my heart ripped out,” and “if it’s bad, we rejoice,” not once leaving the impression that these are negative things that they are in the dumps about. Rather, they emit a sense of sarcasm behind their words, as if the situations couldn’t be worse, and that is simply okay. All our Exes Live in Texas, like all other bands, sing about their hardships in life- without complaint, for once. Their straightforward outlook on life is grounding, in many senses, resulting in a general mood of independence and relief.

Artistically speaking, the Exes establish a style seamlessly. Honeysweet voices littered with notes from the mandolin, ukulele, accordion, and guitar all layer together to form an indie-folk album that will leave you swaying. All of the stereotypes for “indie” music listeners can be envisioned behind these songs, as the scene and mood are established effortlessly. Hamilton made history combining broadway and hip hop- this album, however, is like broadway meets folk. Heart-rendering harmonies and hypothetical reflections create a mood like only a musical, or an artist doing something right, can inflict. Whether you consider their style dorky or wild, it is apparent that Exes executed their debut album excellently.

Rating: 7.0/10

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