The cover of Big Scary’s fifth album is a painting titled Freeway Casino Lovers. At its center is an elderly couple embracing, an image that captures the romanticism and melodic sweetness that ripples through these 10 songs. It also represents the long-standing platonic relationship between singer/guitarist Tom Iansek and drummer/vocalist Jo Syme, who formed Big Scary in 2006—the duo named their fifth album to reflect the realization that Big Scary’s sound is simply the result of the work they do together.
The LP’s songs were written at the same time as those on 2021’s Daisy, but while that record was a little more synth-driven and bombastic, Me and You offers a more restrained, organic side of their sound that favors grand piano and acoustic guitar, the pair’s voices intertwining harmoniously throughout.
Love in all its shades is a key topic, as represented in “Devotion,” which charts the arc of a relationship moving from early infatuation (“blushing at the thought of you”) through setbacks (“acid eating at my insides”) to eventual longevity (“in the background something grew”). “You Won’t Always,” meanwhile, speaks of tender, lasting love (“You won’t always feel small/But I’ll protect you any time you feel that”). Burt Bacharach-esque instrumentation augments the beautiful “Lonely Age,” with co-producers Iansek and Syme creating a gorgeous aural palette.