Salarymen: Take It Or Leave It (Extended)
(Self Release)
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Fresh off an almost entirely sold-out UK tour supporting DMAs and Old Mervs, Sydney duo Salarymen return without slowing their momentum. The extended edition of their debut album Take It Or Leave It arrives with the addition of the 2023 release Echoes and the shuffling new offering Borrowed Time, offering more of the band’s glittering psychedelic-dreampop-indie tendencies.
At its core, Take It Or Leave It follows the evolving dynamics of a long-term relationship, tracing the ways two lives intertwine and the inevitable fractures that begin to appear over time. Songwriters Renee de la Motte and Thomas Eagleton inhabit both perspectives, exploring how ambition, identity, and personal growth can pull people together just as easily as they can push them apart.
Album opener Just Because You Can sets the tone with a bright and accessible indie feel, introducing shimmering guitar tones over a tight, boxy drum beat. These elements recur throughout the album, as vibrant synths weave around the main melodies. Whimsical and jiving, the track eventually blossoms into the intricate guitar work that gives the band their distinctive edge.
Truth and Holding On maintain this luminous indie vibe, blending energetic momentum with subtle echoes of Beach House, while the sun-kissed Let Me Go, one of the album’s standout tracks, offers a striking contrast with its disco-psychedelic flair.
We Could Be Together leans into the band’s 70s-inspired side, ultimately evoking a sound reminiscent of the more recent work of Arctic Monkeys.
Towards the album’s close, my personal highlight Echoes delivers emotional depth amid swirling synths and soaring vocal melodies. As the track reaches its stunning climax, the key shifts, woozy guitars meander through the soundscape, and vocals float in a sea of dreampop bliss. The closer, Borrowed Time, balances heartfelt vocals with jiving psychedelic instrumentation, creating a track that is both emotionally resonant and joyously danceable.
Overall, the extended cut of Take It Or Leave It is a masterclass in blending indie pop accessibility with bursts of experimental color and vibrant musicality. From bright guitar hooks to shimmering synths and psychedelic flourishes, it showcases a band confident in their sound, playful yet sincere, nostalgic yet forward-looking, and thoroughly captivating from start to finish.
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All words by Simon Lucas-Hughes. More writing by Simon Lucas-Hughes can be found at his author’s archive.
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