The Oyster Murders

Australian dream pop quartet The Oyster Murders sums itself up nicely on "Disaster Flower Bloom," the first single from its new EP Mourning Birds. Like the title suggests, the band's music hints at tragedy but does so with songwriting that's organic and gracefully expansive: the sound is a heady balance of beautiful acoustics and buzzy vocals teetering on the brink of meltdown. Married couple and vocalists Grant and Wendy Redgen lead us into the band's nightmarish world, providing a melancholy rapport to anchor the album's emotional ups and downs. And there's a lot of downs: "Feed Ourselves to the Wolves" drowns out itself in echo chamber production and guitar fog, while "The Atlantis Quarterly" finds a brief spot of sunshine only for storm clouds to gather in the surprisingly dark chorus. What's ultimately impressive about this dream world The Oyster Murders craft, though, is that even when everything is bathed in a certain ambiguity, the songs themselves chart a clear journey towards clarity, delving into darkness to come up with concise little glimmers of songcraft--music as exploration and antidote. Mourning Birds is haunting, catchy, and vivid, and it'll stick with you even after you wake up. - Muzik Dizcovery

Made fragile and moody by a very quiet back and forth chemistry between husband and wife duo Grant and Wendy Redgen, “Disaster Flower Bloom” is ambient guitars, analogue synths and longing to be alright.” - Alan Cross

The Aussie group’s new EP ‘Mourning Birds’ is dark and atmospheric, kind of like their Lewis Carroll namesake suggests. Standout single ‘Disaster Flower Bloom’ begins as a rather one-dimensional funeral song, processing slowly with singer Grant Redgen’s raging whisper before unspooling at the chorus like a dark red ribbon.

“When we started recording it, we could feel this natural ebb and flow in the song, it seemed to be slipping seamlessly from a dark and almost eerie verse and then lifting into a lush chorus,” synth player Wendy Redgen tells Diffuser.fm. - Diffuser FM

“Better still, ‘Oh Shadow a Dark Crow Grow’ has many wondrous layers branching out from a soft bass line. While rhythmically simple, the bass sprawls from another mechanical beat, spruced by new wave keyboard bursts, creating a sprawling indie-pop menagerie. Although musically strong, it’s Wendy Redgen’s soft voice that really carries the piece to brilliant heights, her wistful, dreamy pop tones evoking past works by the likes of Opal and Cocteau Twins (albeit with actual real words).” - Real Gone Rocks

I'd like to insulate The Oyster Murders from what I'm about to say. So, shields up! It's only been, like, a month since 'dream-pop' has become, once again, the genre which everybody needs to be a part of and already I'm starting to experience a seriously toxic reaction to people shoe-horning the term on to the sounds of bands that have only a distant relation to Cocteau Twins or Mazzy Star. Thanks, I feel much better.

Brisbane band The Oyster Murders with their brand of ethereal, indie-rock-pop have more right than many to lay claim to the soon-to-be-meaningless phrase. They've apprenticed in echoing bittersweetness for a number of years now and their Magoo-produced, debut full-length, the aptly titled Winter Of The Electric Sun, is poised to launch itself into the ears of a listening public at the perfect time. Laying the reverb on thickly casts a viscous fog over rock, pop and folk alike, making everything seem ghostly and wan. You've had plenty of chances to hear the haunted pop already: most of these bits of the album have appeared already as advance singles: the Bowie-esque goth-glam of It Might Be Real, the more modern indie-pop of The Sleeper's Heart or the pop-rockier, heart-sore romantic wailings of Signs.

There's been a lot to like in those and that's a trend that continues. The quietly voiced indie-rock opener Ink mixes in a glitchy, electronic beat that is welcomely unexpected as it builds to a broad, sighing climax. The dark, synth-rocking growl of The Water In Your Blood is similarly innovative. Both of those are good enough to be singles. It comes as a bit of surprise when you do hear moments that are only filler: about half of Spectre Of A Landfall meanders around off-key and directionless, but only half, launching from there into an anthemic chorus. I can't say I've been hearing big things about The Oyster Murders and I'm even a bit surprised there is so much good stuff going on here, but there really is. Choosing a tune to play you is a little difficult, there's good reasons to play nearly everything right from that opener, to the beautiful, lilting chorus that so wonderfully infects the record's closing moments. You may just have to set aside some extra time for The Oyster Murders. - Chris Cobcroft - 4zzz FM

Independently released by local band The Oyster Murders, their self-titled EP is a brooding yet solid display of ambient rock, with just enough rhythm to keep you moving. The soulful Actors + Models = is an album highlight with its slow tempo and unashamedly elegant vocal harmonies. At its best The Oyster Murders could be the extended-play love child of Radiohead and Interpol, at its worst there is a little Chris Martin-having-just-met-Gwenyth sneaking through. The album ends on a high though with Oceans, Hearts and Ghosts, picking up the beat, getting you moving and leaving you just wanting more. While The Oyster Murders won’t have you dancing manically you can be sure that die-hard fans will have the lyrics memorised and ready to belt-out at live gigs. And I know that wherever he is, Brian Eno would be smiling.
LIZ RENNIE - Rave Magazine

In the vein of Radiohead, but with a much more ambio-pysch feel, Brisbane lads The Oyster Murders produce tunes which drift leisurely over your consciousness, open up your mind with mesmeric vocals and then gently pierce your perception with flounces of soaring guitar, buoyant synth and rhythmic drums and bass lines. Prepared and recorded in both their own and another local studio, their tracks simmer in a broth of relaxed immediacy - bubbling with raw warmth before being stirred in a motion of moody tones.

Their debut self-titled EP offers up a platter of six fresh atmospheric vibes, all served with a strong dash of pop aesthetic throughout. Each of the six servings are as tasty as the other, with sharper palettes being satisfied by Girls Become Boys Become Girls, This Town Won't Sleep and New Year Never Came, while the more muted tastes of Actors + Models =, Well..... and Oceans, Hearts And Ghosts will be appetizing for most. Best served chilled.
By Scott Mehaffey - Four Thousand

These guys know their way around some cinematic pop. - Triple J Unearthed

The Sleeper's Heart
rating: 4/5
Big, stirring and anthem-ready stuff. And that's basically what I've come to expect from you guys. Well done.
Dave Ruby Howe, triple j - Triple J Unearthed

Ghosts In Our Wake
rating: 4/5
I dig all your songs, but there's something about the way this swells and the rhythm of it that really captivates me.
Dom Alessio, triple j - Triple J Unearthed

The Sleeper's Heart
rating: 4/5
Big, stirring and anthem-ready stuff. And that's basically what I've come to expect from you guys. Well done.
Dave Ruby Howe, triple j - Triple J Unearthed

At the tail end of 2013, Australian dream pop band The Oyster Murders dropped an excellent EP, 'Mourning Birds'.

They've since returned to the studio and are about to unveil a new release. In the meantime, here's a taster for you all: the new Oyster Murders video, 'When You're Wrong'. - Real Gone Rocks

I have no friggin' idea what the band's name means but this single [When You're Wrong] from The Oyster Murders is pretty damn good. The Australian band is making it available as a free download on their Soundcloud page and I would urge you to grab it now.

There are hints of Doves and The Arcade Fire here but I also hear a trace of late-period Supergrass in "When You're Wrong" and it's that spark of life that made me like this more than I expected to. And, most importantly, this is darn catchy despite the fact that it's, on some levels, serious music. The drums sound fantastic too and I'm a sucker for that so...

Grab the single and then follow The Oyster Murders on their official Facebook page. - A Pessimist is Never Disappointed

It has been a good while since we’ve heard from Australian dream-poppers, The Oyster Murders. The good news is that they are back with a new single – When You’re Wrong is a wash of distorted pop melodies, overdriven guitars and analog synths.

This is the band’s first release since their 2013 Mourning Birds EP and it is good to have them back. - The Mad Mackerel