There's No Time For Presents," by the Australian rock trio The Burbs, offers a soul-stirring reminder to show up for the people who matter to you. Belying a title that might make you think you're in for some posturing holiday standard, the song turns the tables on that cliche, presenting itself as a stripped-down and endearingly earnest message of solidarity between friends.
It is penned as a profoundly personal tribute, and the song is rich and sincere. The emotion is palpable in every line, and we don't need to know the words to understand them. This is not a place for fluff or pretense. Instead, it is fronted by the trio, Danny Valitutti, Peri Brown, and Brook Mckeon, who sound like they're giving every note their all, every layer of personalized detail. The production decisions tell the tale as well. Recorded at Sing Sing Studios, the trio plays creatively with texture. The percussion section features the sound of a pocket knife cutting paper. It's an unorthodox move, but it works wonders, cutting against the instrumentation with a low-grade snarl that matches the song's emotional weight. These slithers of intent-action make the track feel handcrafted and intimate.
The Burbs play to their established mix of pop smarts and grunge attitude. The song has a hushed urgency, led by moody guitar lines and heady, restrained, and windswept vocals. It is the line struck between raw and power chords that The Burbs command. There's a tenderness in the message, but it's bite enough to make you sit up and listen. "There's No Time For Presents" feels like a lifeline, a means of reaching through all that noise and telling someone, "You're not alone." This one's personal, but it strikes a universal nerve. Emerging from Bells Beach, Victoria, The Burbs are fast cementing themselves as one of the great forces in Australia's rock 'n' roll story. With every release, they've continued to show that authenticity still cuts through and, sometimes, cuts like a knife through paper.
Discover The Burbs on Instagram