Sydney four-piece The Buoys named their debut album Lustre as it describes the way light interacts with the coating of a material, such as a rock, crystal or mineral. Extending the concept to humans, lustre relates to how people absorb and refract light in the shape of life experiences to become the person they are. It’s fitting, then, that the LP ruminates on a wide spectrum of the human condition, from deriding the male gaze (“Subject A”) and losing romantic or platonic love (“Guard My Heart”) to the virtues of supportive friends (“Check Mate”, co-written by Alex Lahey) and the joyous feeling of new love (“Ahead of Myself”). Produced by Chris Collins (Gang of Youths, Matt Corby) and recorded live, the quartet’s blend of indie, rock and punk moves from the raw and defiant (“Subject A”) to the vulnerable (the melancholy “Keeping Busy”) and anthemic (“I Think I’m in Love With You”), all while packing a lyrical punch as honest as it is confident (“I don’t really care if you find it annoying/Or lame uncool, it’s true/Your opinions are for you/I prefer to focus on my growth/Each to their own though/If that’s what makes you happy, no one’s stopping you,” sings Zoe Catterall in “Subject A”). It all comes to an end with the raucous “Totally Completely Fine”, a song that blends vulnerability with confidence, rock attitude with melancholy melodies—in other words, a song that captures the complexity of the human lustre.12 July 2024 14 Songs, 47 minutes ℗ 2024 Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd / Arcadia Records
