Golden Age of Ballooning Prove All’s Fair In “Love & War”
Since their inception in 2012, Brisbane’s Golden Age of Ballooning have gone from strength to strength, and their latest single Love & War is no exception. As the first of four singles promised to be released in 2016, if this is a taste of things to come, we’re in for a good year!
Love & War sounds exactly like the Golden Age of Ballooning we all know and love. It begins with jangly guitar underpinned by a gentle piano line, couple with airy country-style vocal harmonies. What starts as indie folk evolves into something a little more psychedelic as the song progresses, with electric guitar taking hold and keyboard banging out some funky power chords. It’s a cruisy track to listen to, with a rolling 70s vibe that’s perfect for, as they sing throughout the song, “a Sunday morning”.
The accompanying video reflects the qualities of the song perfectly, starting out as something quintessentially folky before morphing into something a little stranger. Shots of an old man alone in a dingy casting crab pots into a river are cut with the image of Golden Age of Ballooning playing their instruments in a field of tall grass and flowers.
But instead of hauling in crabs, the man is rewarded with a catch of old timepieces, filling his boat with sandy, water-logged clocks. With an ominous factory billowing smoke in the background, he displays his catch at a roadside stand, offering the clocks up for free to any passers-by.
Despite pushing a metaphor that is a little obvious, the message of the video carries a certain sweetness nonetheless. It’s a quaint yet cinematic piece and perfectly pairs with the song itself, carrying the gentle cruisy vibe throughout. Golden Age of Ballooning have delivered a track that’s compelling yet soothing, showing that all’s fair in Love & War.
Golden Age of Ballooning have scheduled three more singles to be released this year, with the second, Burn My Love, promised to be released on the 1st of August.
Golden Age of Ballooning ‘Love & War’ Tour
WED 27 JUL
Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney
SAT 30 JUL
Moonshine Manly, Sydney
SUN 28 AUG
Cooroy Originals, Cooroy