Album Review: Spacey Jane Disproves That They Have Lots of Nothing in ‘Here Comes Everybody’ (Digital Deluxe Album)

Australia’s newest kids on the block have more to say on their sophomore album, and the Digital Deluxe re-release of Here Comes Everybody includes four new tracks that truly showcase that.

Written by Adam Cherian

Photo courtesy of Sam Hendel

Australian-based indie-rock newcomers Spacey Jane know what their fans want, and deliver exactly that with the deluxe re-release of their sophomore album, Here Comes Everybody. The new release comes packed with two new songs, a remix with TikTok’s viral COVID sensation BENEE, and a live cover of their guitar-pop jam “Hardlight.” The already fun and relatable album gets an extra boost with these four tracks, and fans of Spacey Jane will be excited to listen.

Consisting of frontman Caleb Harper, drummer Kieran Lama, guitarist Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, and bassist Peppa Lane, the group started off playing shows in local bars on the West coast of Australia, continually building their sound and garnering a decently sized fanbase. With the release of their debut album, Sunlight, the band saw new levels of fame and success. But with a tour offset by the COVID-19 lockdowns, the band's dreams of touring the world would only be realized with the release of Here Comes Everybody.

A relatable yet introspective album, Here Comes Everybody combines aspects of shoegaze and indie-rock/pop to create a fun listen despite its deceitfully somber lyrics. Standouts of the record “Lunchtime,” “Hardlight,” and “Lots of Nothing” show this dichotomy in full force, the latter two of which get their own special spotlights in the deluxe version.

Photo courtesy of AWAL

“Lots of Nothing (feat. BENEE),” is a remix of their 2021 single, now featuring New Zealand artist BENEE. Looking outside himself, Harper grapples with the version of himself that others see. Describing the track as “wrestling with the parts of [himself] that [he doesn’t] like,” the front man enlists the help of BENEE, who acts as the subconscious girlfriend and tells him why she’s leaving. With the backing of a fast synth-drum, the New Zealand singer softly intones, “I don't wanna wait for you / I don't get why you think like that / And it's too late to pick up / I guess I'm over it now,” confirming his suspicions of being a horrible person.

The deluxe version features two new songs, “Sorry Instead” and “Is This What You Wanted.” Both tracks are in Spacey Jane’s signature indie-rock style, but they still manage to stand out from the previous tracks in their themes and meanings. Take “Sorry Instead,” for example, where Harper is pleading for someone to take care of him in his time of mental anguish, but the isolating feeling of being a burden causes even more agony. He begs, “Stay with me (oooh) / I plead my case but I said, sorry instead.”

“Is This What You Want” is a realistic description of the monotony of depression. Mundane but concerning descriptions of experiences like “falling asleep in the shower” show the subtle ways in which depression impairs one's ability to function. Harper's high-pitched vocals, coupled with the chill instrumentals, highlight the tedium of a bad mental space. Issues of mental health are discussed throughout the album, also serving as the theme of their song “Hardlight,” which the deluxe edition highlights with a re-recorded live version.

Anxiety-plagued 2021 single “Hardlight” shows Harper at his lowest, riddled with anxiety and just trying to survive. He feels like he’s being crushed — “Can you see the weight I'm wearing on my shoulder / Each one's worse and stays a little longer” — unable to function. The newly released live version showcases the out-of-this-world talent of the band, with instrumentals that sound like they could’ve been recorded in the booth. Though the band formed relatively recently in 2016, they truly have the potential to be the next big name in American indie rock. The band brings a sort of Gen Z brightness that is missing from modern-day indie.

With the deluxe of Here Comes Everybody, fans get everything they want: songs about crushing existential dread, killer guitar and bass, and most importantly, relatable lyrics set to the tune of impeccable playing. During the pandemic, when the growth of Spacey Jane came to a halt, they obviously took that time to improve their sound and hone their craft, and with the four new tracks on this record, it clearly shows.