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Australia’s Camp Cope solidified their position as one of our favorite new bands with the release of their self-titled debut in 2016. Those first eight songs introduced us to Georgia "Maq" McDonald’s world, her catchy pop punk songwriting, and chills-inducing voice. The power of that album caused the trio -- rounded out by like-minded ladies Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich (on bass) and Sarah Thompson (on drums) -- to very quickly become known around the world, as did their forward-thinking and no-nonsense activism. This year’s debut full length was undoubtedly one of our most anticipated releases of this year, but if upon its release it wasn’t clear that it would also be one of 2018’s most important releases, it became clearer and clearer with countless repeated listens, which not only brought musical joy and sometimes tears to more than one BV staff member, but provided the most fitting soundtrack for what was a very turbulent year.

#MeToo was accused of going too far or running its course, festival and package tour lineups continued to be overwhelmingly, exclusively male, and Camp Cope's vital sophomore album How to Socialise & Make Friends arrived not a moment too soon. Fearlessly tackling music industry sexism and gender disparity on opening track and call to arms "The Opener," Camp Cope are a force of nature from the first bassline, pushing back against inequality with strength and rage. Georgia's voice comes in a raw blast, cutting off hypocrisy and gaslighting at their source. Two songs later, "The Face of God," a haunting recollection of sexual assault and its aftermath, has the intensity of a punch in the gut. Its most wrenching lines are a stark reminder of the toxicity of victim-blaming: "I saw it, the face of god, and he turned himself away from me and said I did something wrong." This plain-spoken acknowledgement of an almost unspeakable shame far too many people feel after surviving rape chilled me to my core. "The Face of God" presents a situation that will ring all too familiar to many, not only because of the epidemic of sexual assault, but because the perpetrator is a musician. "Could it be true?" Georgia sings, "you couldn't do that to someone. Not you, nah your music is too good." The continued success of alleged abusers like R. Kelly proves the music industry has a long way to go towards not just looking the other way.

Life goes on in spite of everything; there is hope and healing, or attempts at both. There is also further grief: the loss of Georgia's father, folk musician Hugh McDonald, to cancer, is touchingly portrayed in album closer "I've Got You," a genuine tear-jerker and loving tribute that sticks with you long after the album is over. As does Georgia's voice, ringing more cathartically than ever on "Anna," singing, "just get it all out, put it in a song." It's a battle cry towards moving forward, surrounded by various light-hearted slice-of-life sketches throughout the album that shine with genuine feeling: the "rescue dogs in a house by the sea" in "The Omen," and "riding my bike with no handlebars through empty streets in the dark" on the its title track. These slightly messy but honest songs may not have made for the most ambitious or experimental music this year, but they were among the most powerful and heartfelt. This is the kind of music worth returning to long after trends fade and move on, the kind of music where new details pop out at you on each listen and will continue to do so for years to come. How to Socialise & Make Friends still feels as fresh and relevant as we hoped it would the day "The Opener" dropped over a year ago, and we're already full of anticipation for whatever Camp Cope do next. [A.H.]