The Thousands

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Melbournite Darren Sylvester‘s heroes should be tickled pink.

As a visual artist, Sylvester took this saying to ridiculous, ludicrous extremes: perfectly re-enacting music videos by David Bowie and Kate Bush; re-building from scratch a classic, now defunct drum machine used by New Order; even constructing an elaborate stage set recreation of the Carpenters’ backyard garden!
**Yet while his gallery exhibits are recreated by rote, his debut embodies rather than apes, and is far more original than many of his peers. Sure, it sounds like certain classic iconoclasts; David Bowie, T. Rex, Don Lennon or a variety of 80s soft rock singer songwriters. But it inhabits its own space.

Sylvester has song-writing chops, and it shows. A strong debut from a promising voice who’s refreshingly unafraid to fan out. Like they said, the geeks shall inherit the earth.