STACK #199 May 2021

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Delta Goodrem Bridge Over Troubled Dreams I’ve always seen Delta Goodrem as an Aussie version of Tori Amos and Celine Dion, which is a potent mix – indie attitude meets big ballads. She might have lost her way a little after her record- breaking debut, Innocent Eyes ; her seventh studio album is about fame, fear and failing to live up to expectations. “I guess it didn’t go the way I thought it would,” she admits in Dear Elton , a love letter to the UK superstar. And in the opening cut, Keep Climbing , she sings: “There’s a fear in every step.” But this album is surefooted and superb, with Goodrem successfully veering from pop to ballads, gospel and even a country-tinged detour. “I guess that I have finally arrived now,” she declares. “I feel that I am truly my own self.” (Sony) Jeff Jenkins

You Am I The Lives Of Others Thirty years after their first release, You Am I still rock, with a razor- sharp lyricist capable of taking us around the world. “Edinburgh, Galway, Nashville, Ulladulla,” Tim Rogers sings in the opening cut, The Waterboy . “Breakin’ my heart in four places.” He’s a great rock star, but beneath the swagger is a poetic heart. “You can sure waste a lot of time trying to be a man,” he confides in Manliness , a standout on the band’s 11th studio outing. Of course, You Am I are more than just a fantastic frontman, with a ripping rhythm section – Andy Kent and Rusty Hopkinson – and gifted guitarist Davey Lane, who sings two tracks, including the rollicking We All Went Deaf Overnight . One of the last great rock bands. (Caroline) Jeff Jenkins

Amy Shark Cry Forever Amy Shark’s debut album hit number one, went platinum and won an ARIA for Album of the Year. But a sense of self-doubt permeates her second album. “Lately I’ve been losing,” she sings,

“letting people down a lot, cutting all the corners, standing on shoulders.” But there’s no sophomore jinx here. With its dynamic, contemporary pop, Cry Forever consolidates Shark’s position as one of our finest songwriters. Like an Aussie Alanis, she’s not afraid to say exactly what’s on her mind, and she’s also capable of conveying true emotion in short, simple sentences. “You were never there before,” she sings in I’ll Be Yours , “now you’re everything I see.” Shark brings some added star power along for the ride, though she’s not standing on anyone’s shoulders. Keith Urban duets on Love Songs Ain’t For Us (which Shark wrote with Ed Sheeran) and Blink-182’s Travis Barker guests on C’mon ; Shark also collaborated with the great American songwriter Dan Wilson (Adele, The (Dixie) Chicks, Missy Higgins) on the sweet treat You’ll Never Meet Anyone Like Me Again . “It’s always a team effort,” Shark acknowledges. “Baby steps, baby steps.” But this album is a giant leap forward. Global stardom awaits. (Sony) Jeff Jenkins

Van Morrison Latest Record Project: Volume 1 Unable to tour in 2020, Van Morrison remained busy by immersing himself in songwriting. While he continues to mine his ongoing love of blues, soul, R&B and jazz, the subject matter within many of these new songs reflect what's going on around him. His views on social media are summed up on Why Are You On Facebook? , while on Dead Beat Saturday Night he addresses the frustrations of lockdown: no life, no gigs, no choice, no voice. Two songs – Love Should Come With AWarning and Mistaken Identity – could be autobiographical, featuring lyrics written by award-winning English lyricist Don Black. While the album will connect with long-time fans, Morrison's willingness to comment on contemporary issues may see him tap into a wider audience. (BMG) Billy Pinnell

John Hiatt with the Jerry Douglas Band Leftover Feelings A meeting of two American music giants – singer-songwriter-musician John Hiatt (22 studio albums, songs covered by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Linda Ronstadt), and dobro and lap steel player Jerry Douglas (14 studio releases, sideman on more than 1,600 albums and longtime member of Alison Kauss and Union Station) – recently took place for the recording of their first album together. Appropriately, it occurred in Nashville's hallowed RCA Studio B, famous for hosting legendary artists such as Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, and Waylon Jennings (who is referenced in the song The Music Is Hot ). The line-up of guitars, fiddle and double bass – no drums – creates an ideal backdrop for Hiatt's story-songs, based on his own life or those of people he knew. This is Americana music at its absolute best. (NewWest) Billy Pinnell

Rag'n'Bone Man Life By Misadventure

Warning: avoid listening to Life By Misadventure in public places where bursting into tears may cause embarrassment.

“Sometimes I close my eyes and dream I’m somewhere else/ Anywhere away from here..." Rag’n’Bone Man explains his latest single, Anywhere Away From Here (feat. P!nk), is about “wanting to disappear from uncomfortable situations,” and conveying vulnerability is his forte. This set of songs was recorded like a live album in order to tap into raw emotion, and his crestfallen timbre – delivering repeated, doleful phrases such as “I don’t wanna fall in love again,” and “Don’t that make you feel alone” – devastates; just when you think he’s maxed-out on emotional heft, Rag’n’Bone Man unearths a hidden heartstring to pluck. Fall In Love Again , a song about "sabotaging your own relationship for fear of commitment”, is a masterpiece of Human -level proportions; backing vocals evoke a choir of sighing angels throughout Alone ; and the bluesy swag of standout track Somewhere Along The Way balances melancholy with hope. Life By Misadventure contains contributions from drummer Daru Jones (who worked on Jack White’s 2014 solo album Lazaretto ) and guitarist Wendy Melvoin (from Prince’s The Revolution), but Rag’n’Bone Man’s voice alone brings out the feels. (Sony) Bryget Chrisfield

80 MAY 2021

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