We All Want To
We All Want To
(Plus One Records)

Damn, that Tim Steward can really write a song.

In 2010, this is no real revelation: after all, Steward's distinctive vocal delivery previously led the wonderful Screamfeeder, a Brisbane-based, self-proclaimed 'noisy pop' trio who emerged in the early 1990s. While they never quite achieved the wider success of alternative rock peers like You Am I or Jebediah, they remain one of the nation's finest acts. Though Screamfeeder never quite hung up their boots - last year, they even toured a Don't Look Back-style reprisal of their 1996 classic Kitten Licks - Steward's creative soul evidently remains restless.

In many ways, We All Want To could be considered a spiritual sequel to the songwriter's past affiliations. Here, alongside four collaborators, several of Steward's stylistic hallmarks remain intact. Minus one exception in the recorder-based 'A La Mode', the songs are arranged around guitar, which alternates between clean-picked phrases and sheets of pleasantly-distorted chords. Like Screamfeeder, central to this band's appeal is the vocal interplay between genders. In co-singer Skye Staniford, Steward has found a remarkable foil. Their softly-spoken melodies entwine beautifully on standout track 'Japan', whose lyrics concern a sense of equilibrium often overlooked when travelling the world. Steward counts off the destinations he's visited ("There's stamps in my passport that say I've been to Japan / Germany, and Mexico / I watched the Christmas lights come on in Amsterdam / The sky was all aglow") - but there's always "as many goodbyes as there are hellos". He and Staniford conclude that "The stamps in my passport mostly say / There's as many comebacks as gone-aways". They seize and reprise that final line in the coda, as their bandmates crash around them in tightly-orchestrated chaos. Forgive the extended analysis of just one track, but in 'Japan', We All Want To reveal their songwriting template: mood, restraint, tension, release.

Elsewhere, Staniford sings lead on the snappy 'Cyclone', as well as the self-penned 'A La Mode'. Though the song initially repels due to its variation from the indie-guitar schtick, its beauty reveals itself in time: what begins as a simple composition of looped vocals, handclaps and recorder spirals into an elegant symphony. 'Already Too Late' is endearing indie pop at its finest: it has the world’s simplest vocal hook, yet despite the title, ample slide guitar imbues the track with a sense of urgency. Early single 'Back To The Car' is a quintessential Steward narrative, whose inspiration lies in the mundane. Scenarios described in the chorus ("On your way back to the car / When the party's a bit of a let down"; "Fighting your way through the past / Just tryin' to feel connected") are familiar to everyone, yet surrounded by a drumbeat and a few chords, Steward and friends make the mundane sound grandiose.

In truth, it's probably not fair to compare We All Want To to Screamfeeder. They're different beasts from different eras. Arguably artists should be judged against their latest work, not their past achievements. Either way, Steward wins: plainly, the dude's quality control is impeccable, as I've still not heard a bad song attached to his name. In We All Want To, Steward has found like-minded souls with whom he can build upon an already outstanding career.

Andrew McMillen

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We All Want To - 'Back To The Car'