Crisp acoustic guitar, distinct harmonies, piano driven ballads, and emotive lyrics: it seems that five-piece Speedstar is the entire alt-pop package; and what’s more, they are Australian. Having toured with Belle and Sebastian, Turin’ Brakes, Eskimo Joe, Sarah Blasko, The Living End, and Big Heavy Stuff (to name but a few) it is definitely to their credit that the band has two full length albums under their belt. The most recent effort from the boys is Forget the Sun, Just Hold On… an album that I purchased solely for the track Unbreakable, not caring whether the remainder of the album was worthless, however from the opening chords of Are You Feeling Better, Angela? I knew I had picked up a corker.

Forget the Sun, Just Hold On… moves through the various stages of breaking up: attempted reconciliation, despair, pleading, acceptance, and finally peace. It is near impossible not to be touched by this album, even if you have not personally experienced the various situations depicted by the lyrics, only a heart of stone would not be moved by the raw honesty and history that is revealed through song. However, even with these themes running strong throughout the album, the entire recording is still strangely optimistic, as though the boys are bursting at the seams with a little secret they are unable to share.

Melodic beauty such as this is hard to come by and when accompanied with delicate string work and haunting brass, the album is a gallery displaying Speedstar’s finest work yet. The harmonies uncovered by the brilliant stand-in female vocalists in Let All Your Trouble Hurt Me, Gospel #27, and New Orleans Funeral no. 1 are reminiscent of an undersized gospel choir. The exceptional musicianship used to create Forget the Sun, Just Hold On… brings an intense lustre to the album, unachievable by any other means.

Standout tracks include Skyblue, The End, Gospel #27, A Place You Call Home, and Sleeptime Waltz, each song telling of how to look for the positive no matter what hand you’ve been dealt. Featuring lyrics such as “Wake up the morning sun, leave the rain back in July and wipe your sweet, sad eyes” and “You were one sunny day in a year I wish would fade away when you left me crying on the pavement” the sincerity of Forget the Sun, Just Hold On… is undeniable. With an album that sends shivers down your spine through almost every track, Speedstar have definitely delivered one of the finest recordings of 2004.