- The only thing to hate about the Strangers From Now On EP is how little of it there is. Dark and focused, there is so much potential in this four track promise that you can’t help wondering what a full release might contain.

Melbourne quartet Strangers From Now On inhabit a strange genre limbo. Working a blend of spartan garage instrumentals, dark rock refrains and powerful, directed, yet sometimes subdued vocals, they manage to carve their own niche somewhere between the likes of Nick Cave and Portishead. The EP as a whole manages to evoke a slew of influences without letting itself be anchored by them. Shades of Jack White, Tool, PJ Harvey and Jeff Buckley flit throughout the tracks, making themselves known but never as more than the shadows of the past.

Lead singer, Gabriel Santos slides his voice effortlessly between the feminine innocence of a breathy ingenue and the lashing unpredictable rage of driven angst. The effect is a snappy juxtaposition that always feels purposeful, where even the violent outbursts are smooth and evocative. The rest of the band, guitarist Aidan Kelly, drummer Miranda Holt and Bassist Daniel Myles, perform admirably, crafting exquisite scenery for Santos to drape his lyrics upon. Melancholic and enthusiastic, the instrumentals here manage to be both delicate and aggressive, never straddling a line but swinging themselves over it repeatedly with perfect timing and an understanding of silence as simply another tool.

Formed in 2010, it’s a pity that Strangers From Now On haven’t put together a full release yet. What we’ve been given so far is an amazing promise and a niggling itch, hopefully one that will be scratched before too long, because this is more than just an debut worth listening to, this is a band to watch out for.

- Nic Addenbrooke.