Matthew Hopkins and Lucy Phelan the two key songwriters of the grotesque art assignment that is Naked On The Vague have been doing the hard yards around Australia and aboard for nearly five years. Up until now, NOTV have primarily been a two-piece but with the release of their latest and best recording “Heaps Of Nothing” the two-piece has been expanded into four. 

Building on the sound the two created, its always exciting to hear something that was already spot on sound a thousand times better with new additions. It’s a much fuller and apocalyptic sound to their debut “The Blood Pressure Sessions” from 2007, and even so for the more recent “Chitty Chat” single from 2009. “Heaps Of Nothing”, more or less sounds like the end of the world, as you know it. But it’s presented in such a melodic and intriguing way, that it doesn’t really matter that it’s the last day on earth. 

Listen to the catchy chorus in opener “Mysterious Oven” or the dynamite lead lines thanks to Matthew Hopkins in “Treading Water” and you’ll see what I mean. The structure of the songs is downright bizarre, the “Treading Water” mid-section sounds like vocalist Lucy Phelan didn’t go to swim school as a child, and she’s drowning in a whirlpool of reverb-drenched echo’s, and organ-related soundscapes. I’d feel sorry for her, if only it didn’t sound so good. Then before you know it, the Hopkins lead line, has thrown a rope down to rescue her. The opening of “Sacred Youth” is scary as hell, and is littered with guitar lead trickles. 

The overall vocal sound of the record is amazing; “Heaps of Nothing” is about as epic and mysterious as it gets for underground D-I-Y music. Most of the songs force you to re-listen and re-evaluate just exactly what the fuck is going on, it almost feels cinematic in the approach to the sounds and layers. But, keep in mind its probably a Stan Brakage film, so its all about the imagery and perception rather than the script. Which seems to be in some alternate doom poetry language that only NOTV can understand. “Scared Youth” is so hypnotic that its surprising that its all one song, the thing that astounds me is how such free-sounding music can be remembered by the musicians. Side 2 opens with a NOTV classic vintage organ sound that makes them so addictive, you begin to appreciate the newly added rhythm section more than ever. “These Days” is probably the chart-topping single in the pits of hell right now, Phelan’s vocals have never sounded so good – and Hopkins’s speakerphone barks only add more to the song. 

After Side B song “The Joke” everything just goes down a dark tunnel and never comes back, those melodic leads you heard earlier on aren’t going to save you now. Things turn chaotic and it feels like I’m listening to “Anthem Of The Sun” as a fifteen year old and having natural hallucinations on my bedroom floor. It’s not for everyone, but anyone with any interest in NOTV or obscure music will find this album to be classic-worthy. I also hope that “Heaps Of Nothing” wins the “Best Artwork” category at the next Aria Awards. Songwriter and artist Matthew Hopkins, has done his best NOTV-related artwork yet that perfectly, and I mean perfectly sets the mood for the whole unsettling album. From the blurry Holga photo (I presume) on the cover, to the debateable and indistinctive images on the back and inserts. 

The best way to look at NOTV is a marriage of bleak sounds and fitting artwork. “Heaps Of Nothing” is as about as intriguing as it gets, and if your want to go outside the box you’ll find everything in here – and the further you go, the more you’ll discover.

Review Score: 8.5/10