Tom Iansek had already released two albums with Joanna Syme via their Melbourne duo Big Scary—including 2013’s Australian Music Prize-winning Not Art—before releasing his second solo record as #1 Dads. He had also sharpened his production skills with both Big Scary and other rising acts like Hockey Dad, and you can fully hear his growing prowess across About Face. It’s an intimate effort where every individual choice and effect has pronounced impact, whether it’s the intentional crackle of Iansek’s vocals on “For Randy Robinson and Cassidy” or the creaky piano notes warbling through “Homeward Found”. In contrast to Big Scary’s more electronic approach to indie pop, Iansek explored the potential of more acoustic instrumentation here. Observe the Leonard Cohen-esque guitar-picking of “Blood Pt. 2” and the soft-stepped drums and surprise saxophone of the outer-suburb postcard “Camberwell”. Still keen to collaborate with others, Iansek enlisted impressive vocal turns from Ainslie Wills, Airling and Tom Snowdon. The two Toms would go on to work together again in the arty duo No Mono, and Iansek has since applied his up-close-and-personal recording style to acclaimed records by Maple Glider, Lisa Mitchell, The Paper Kites and others.