‘Nothing To Do‘ is infectious from the start. Jovi Skyler, a self-titled vegetarian punk-rocker based out of Sydney, has crafted a 10-track LP that will plant itself firmly in that tune-filled head of yours after a first listen, easily finding its way into your frequently used playlists. After originally releasing ‘Nothing To Do’ late last spring, the DIY Sydneysider is now releasing a trippy music video for ‘Survivor’ the last song on the album. Film aficionados rejoice as snippets from several movies such as Cameron Crowe’s “Vanilla Sky“, Gus Van Sant’s “Last Days“, the quintessentially beloved “This Is Spinal Tap“, “Looking For Alibrandi” (a critically acclaimed film not so well-known outside of Australia), and the Wes Anderson masterpiece “The Royal Tenenbaums” are featured. Although you’ll have to have a keen eye to quickly register most all but the latter, which is most prominent, interspersed with clips of Skyler. Be sure to give it a watch! If you like what you see (and hear most importantly) you’re going to want to check out ‘Nothing To Do’ in its entirety, so here’s a little forewarning of what’s to come. There will be fuzz and it shall be slinky, ooze the DIY ethos of it’s maker, and have lyrical couplets that force a nod out of even the grumpy. ‘If You Think So’ was a perfect choice in opening track, it makes promises in the first few seconds and you’ll find them kept for the next half hour. Motivated, propelling you into this land of “no regrets” and “contradictions”, it’s a marrying of late 80s/early 90s noise rock and 60s psychedelia, though the former shines the brightest. Tracks such as ‘If You Think So’ and ‘Dangerland’ are reminiscent of the fuzzy garage sleaze titans Sonic Youth; Skyler being best described as a descendent of the same realm.
Throughout the album Skyler’s vocals give us softer little nuggets of driving power pop-punk from the 70s à la Milk N Cookies sprinkled delicately amongst the grunge body of it (especially ‘Tattoos’). Highlights also include: the bopping jam ‘Evergreen’ which is home of the coziest lyrics on the record, and ‘Rocket’ a song on drug abuse, who’s music video showcases an alternative woman roaming around the city doing just that. Before we part, did I happen to mention Jovi Skyler is responsible for every nuance you’re listening to? The singer-songwriter is a one-man band, and rumour has it his blood, sweat, and tears went into the making of ‘Nothing To Do‘. Intrigued yet?
Sarah Medeiros