''First Contact'' is the debut studio album by Australian

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pop duo

Lastlings Lastlings are an Australian electronic pop band from Gold Coast, Queensland made up of brother and sister duo Amy and Josh Dowdle. They have performed at Coachella, Spilt Milk, Splendour in the Grass, and The Plot. The duo are well known for ...

and was released on 20 November 2020. The album was announced in September, alongside an album trailer shot in Japan. In a press statement, the pair said the album was about "moments we experience for the first time", saying "It is about those beautiful moments when we feel love for the first time, a child taking its first steps or travelling to a new destination. It's also about the somber moments in our life where we have lost something or someone for the first time and how we grow and change from these." The album pays homage to the siblings' Japanese heritage. "No Time" draws inspiration from

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's dystopian novel '' Never Let Me Go'', "Take My Hand" was inspired by their favourite anime,

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Your Name is a 2016 Japanese animated romantic fantasy film produced by CoMix Wave Films. It depicts a high school boy in Tokyo and a high school girl in the Japanese countryside who suddenly and inexplicably begin to swap bodies. The film was commis ...

'' and the guitar line in "Out of Touch" was inspired by the piano melody of

Joe Hisaishi , known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. He is also known for his piano scores. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore ...

's "The Wind Forest" from

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My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. The film—which stars the voice actors Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi—tells the story o ...

''.

Critical reception

Glenn Tozer from ''BlankGC'' said "Embedded in Lastlings' music are deep and rhythmic bass lines over beats, orchestrated by Josh, with dreamy treble melodies layered above, delivered by the unique vocal style of Amy who almost whisper-sings, sounding effortless" saying the album has "back-to-back ear worming tracks". Lisa Kocay from ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'' wrote, "The 12-track body of work is diverse, transcending from dark-pop meets melodic-tech to ethereal soundscapes, all accompanied by Amy Dowdle's enchanting vocals." ''Purple Sneakers'' described the album as "twelve exceptional songs" and said, "Exploring the senses and emotions that arise when encountering experiences for the first time, the record delves into fleeting moments of love, disappointment and devastation, optimism, the power of connection and so much more."

Track listing

Personnel

Lastlings * Amy Dowdle – writing, vocals, production (1–12) * Josh Dowdle – writing, vocals, production (1–12)

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2020 debut albums Lastlings albums Liberation Records albums