Australian indie pop institution
Bart Cummings' short-but-sweet twee reflections have grown and deepened over the course of decades, first appearing in the early '90s in the form of bands like
the Cat's Miaow and
the Shapiros.
Bart & Friends emerged at the turn of the century as a vehicle for
Cummings' lovelorn tunes, assembling members of
the Lucksmiths,
Summer Cats, and other key players in the Australian indie scene to realize the band. As quickly as the songs themselves crackled and faded from view,
Bart & Friends went through an extended absence, resurfacing in 2010 with
Make You Blush, the first of what would be a series of EPs for the band, all highlighted with
Pam Berry's (she of
Black Tambourine,
the Shapiros,
Glo-Worm, and a host of other short-lived but excellent twee acts) darkly graceful vocals.
There May Come a Time is the third of these EPs, following 2011's
Stories with the Endings Changed. This six-song mini-album is blueprint-perfect twee pop: understated, brief, jangly, and just melancholic enough to pull the heartstrings, but not so much as to detract from a bevy of hooks and happy detours. The album-opening title track and a gentle cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" are standouts, finding
Berry's croon a perfect mate in
Cummings' sparkling
Johnny Marr-esque guitar picking. The slightly fuzzier tones of "A Kiss You Won't Forget" and the acoustic strums and upbeat tempo of all 48 seconds of "There Are So Many Things I'd Like to See" don't recall the late-'90s indie scene of xeroxed 7" covers and fanzines as much as they sound like that time never ended for
Bart & Friends.
There May Come a Time doesn't smack of nostalgia, though bands coming up in the late 2000s like
Pains of Being Pure at Heart and
Veronica Falls have found a borrowed nostalgia in this specific brand of indie pop, certainly owing a huge debt to the sound
Cummings,
Berry, and
the Lucksmiths crew all helped craft years earlier. While the sweetness and naive sentimentality could come off as saccharine or outdated to some listeners,
Bart & Friends exist somewhat out of time, continuing to make strides in their sound on whatever schedule they see fit. Adrift in an ever-changing musical climate full of fads and competition, their ability to drop in after years of absence and pick up where they left off is a refreshing merit, and the songs have never sounded better. ~ Fred Thomas
![A Bout de Heavenly [The Singles]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/5020422053724_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "A Bout de Heavenly [The Singles]")