Guineafowl hail from Sydney, and their well crafted indie pop manages to walk a fine line. That fine line between appealing to an alternative audience looking for something new, and creating songs laden with catchy pop hooks. They do both extremely well.

Hello Anxiety, Guineafowl’s debut EP, is a refreshing breath of musical air in the face of what seems like an overabundance of bands who do indie pop the boring way. Throw in a few synth hooks, an off-beat pound, and away we go! Well, Guineafowl gladly take a different path. Though with their fair share of amazing beats and hooks, Guineafowl layer over winding guitar leads and soaring vocals. The bass groove and keyboard riff in “Little Fingers” is tremendous in size and effect. It seems that overall, every track has such a full and rich sound, full of interesting nuances and background noises that add to the experience, and the band should be commended for it. Amidst the many instruments and sounds, Guineafowl’s music obtains a personality. Something that is theirs, and seems to be theirs alone – something new.

To be honest, there isn’t much I can pick apart here. It’s a great offering from a relatively new band. If anything, I find the chorus of “My Lonely Arms” to not quite fit. It isn’t that I find swearing in music off-putting, but it just doesn’t seem to flow. Other than that, Guineafowl have put a very solid effort into the release.

One of the problems with EPs is that they often leave us wanting more – which is both a curse, and an indication of a band’s worth. Hello Anxiety, Guineafowl’s debut EP has more than enough quality, but by the time it finishes you can’t help but wish there was a bit more. Guineafowl will no doubt take flight (pun completely intentional) and gain the recognition they deserve as one of Australia’s biggest upcoming bands. How long that will take is anyone’s guess – but the fact remains that these guys have something special, new, and exciting, that sets them apart. I’m excited. You should be too.