Middle Kids aren’t massive fans of albums. Interviewed by NME last month, bassist Tim Fitz revealed he rarely listens to a full LP, concluding: “If you make a whole album nowadays, then you’ve done a very good job.” Full marks for Middle Kids, then, because ‘Lost Friends’ is a set of pile-driving anthems that demands your undivided attention.
Based in Sydney, the group released their self-titled debut EP at the start of last year. Since, they’ve been touring relentlessly, hitting up buzzy UK festivals like The Great Escape, as well as hitching a ride on tour with acts including Ryan Adams and Cold War Kids.
The road is where this album belongs. Its 12 tracks of pummelling, uncompromising indie-rock are perfect for long drives in the boiling summer or night-time journeys in the city. “Wheels on the road, white painted rows/Windscreen wipers on, silent radio,” singer and songwriter Hannah Joy sings on ‘Lost Friends’. Meanwhile, for ‘On My Knees’ we’re stood on the pavement: “I am the second hand, I am a roadside distraction / And they’re looking at me as if I got what they need”. Wherever Middle Kids are going, the listener is bundled into the back of the car too.
Not content with being able to write genuinely brilliant choruses on every song, the band are also able to tackle our everyday nuances and flaws with humour and understanding. ‘Don’t Be Hiding’ offers the group’s finest all-round performance to date, pairing Fleetwood Mac harmonies and riffs with relatable zingers on modern life. “Are you cashed up or struggling with a hole in your pocket?” asks Joy. “If it’s bad then I relate/You should see the junk I spend my money on” – comforting every drunk-eBaying survivor who’s listening along.