EP Review: The New Yorks ‘Head of Tales’

Adelaide indie rock band The New Yorks have brought back some 90’s garage with their debut EP ‘Head of Tales’, which features six banger tracks. These guys should already be on your radar, having supported the likes of both Chet Faker and San Cisco, and the 4-piece are definitely a local act to keep an eye on in the upcoming future!

We’re first greeted with Girl, which instantly springs a catchy electric guitar riff to begin until the song soothes when singer Vinnie Barbaro enters with some soft and raspy vocals. While the song is both catchy and powerful, Barbaro’s vocals add a edgy element to give Girl that extra bit of kick.

New Age is the second song on the EP and, like its precursor, also includes a prominent electric guitar in the intro with upbeat and light drumming to follow. Barbaro’s voice is more edgy in this track, creating a light hearted sound and some easy listening.

An electric lullaby-like sound follows with their next song, First Flight to Tokyo. Intrinsic notes stem from the guitar this time, along with the soft vocals we’ve heard before. The song however picks up with group vocals and a deeper range on Barbaro’s behalf towards the end. The addition of this added element really adds to the quietness of the song and creates an impacting sound to finish off the track. This song has to be one of our favourites from the EP, but seemed to finish too quickly – definitely one for the repeat button!

Bluest Summer is a great title as it provides that exact image upon listening. The guitar gives us an almost tropical, reggae feel during various parts of this track until it flips and gives a more subtle and chill strum, providing us with that ‘blue summer’ we were initially promised.

On the Radio sends us into a funk with an extremely groovy sound. Barbaro seems to have experimented with his voice throughout and it has totally worked in his favour. Steering away from a 90’s garage sound, On The Radio gives us more of an 80’s vibe with the electricity of the lead guitar.

I Hope He Knows finishes the EP off as an absolute banger of a tune, with the band really coming together. Fast paced guitar work, matched with a similar drumbeat ties with Barbaro’s signature vocals and really shows us what the band are really about.

The New Yorks have given us such a variety in this EP. With Barbaro’s sing-me-to-sleep voice shifting to a raspy tone with a lot of edge, we hear his wide vocal range, and, along with the skills of Marcus Rosella’s guitar playing, the whole band shows us their talent within each and every song.

You can check out their music video for I Hope He Knows below!