The Blackeyed Susans

w/ Jep & Dep

Formed in Perth in 1989, The Blackeyed Susans have built a reputation for their moody romanticism and op-shop stylings. Declared national treasures by Rolling Stone magazine, they have toured the world, played with the likes of Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen and released numerous albums of occasional beauty including a retrospective box set entitled ‘Reveal Yourself’ in 2009 charting the band’s illustrious history. Boasting members of The Cruel Sea, Dirty Three, The Triffids, The Jackson Code, Augie March, The Drones and Hungry Ghosts, the group’s credits read like a who’s who of Australian alternative music.

Close Your Eyes and See is their first album of new material in over a decade, the release finds the group near the height of their powers, delivering one of their strongest collections of songs to date, masterfully arranged and performed by a band with over 25 years experience together. Led by chief songwriter Phil Kakulas and producer Dan Luscombe, Close Your Eyes and See combines the honeyed vocals of singer Rob Snarski with long, reverby trails of pedal steel, tremolo guitar, violin and keyboards. The result is a meticulously crafted album of dreamlike torch songs, bruised ballads and atmospheric rockers that sounds both classic and contemporary.

Lush, beautiful and mysterious, Close Your Eyes and See is a response to the wonderful and woeful world we live in – an appeal to keep your dreams alive, even when it feels as if you’re living in a nightmare. If the outside world poses difficult questions, the answers may just lie within.

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