STACK #201 Jul 2021

MUSIC REVIEWS

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The Seekers Live In The UK

Lisa Edwards I'm Still The Woman If an Australian version of 20 Feet From Stardom – the Oscar-winning, 2013 documentary about the lives of backing singers – was made, it's likely that Melbourne's Lisa Edwards would be its star. Live and in the studio, Edwards has supported our own John Farnham, Kylie Minogue, Mike Brady, Ross Wilson, Olivia Newton-John, and Jack Jones, to name just a few in addition to international artists that include Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Sting, Yoko Ono, and Brian Adams. Determined to express herself musically, Lisa has recorded a batch of original songs co-written with songwriting partner Michael Cristiano that explore relationships, close-to- home situations, issues that we're all dealing with, embellished by inventive musical arrangements that vary from song to song. The album also includes Lisa's take on Helen Reddy's I Am Woman , whose timeless message is as inspiring today as it has ever been. (Fanfare) Billy Pinnell

There have been a number of Seekers live albums over the years, but if you want just one in your collection, this is it. Recorded during their farewell tour of the UK in 2014 – 50 years after they initially set sail for England – you can hear how much the audience loves the band and their music. And the songs shine through. As well as all the big hits (including a deeply moving version of their international breakthrough, I’ll Never Find Another You ), this 25-song set goes deep into the Seekers catalogue, with gems such as Myra , You’re My Spirit , When Will The Good Apples Fall? , The Water Is Wide and Love Is Kind, Love Is Wine . It’s a lasting reminder of The Seekers’ magic – sweet, innocent, pure and fun. (Decca/Universal) Jeff Jenkins

Jimmy Barnes Flesh And Blood

“I got nothing to sell,” Jimmy Barnes declares in Gateway To Your Heart from his 20th solo studio album – though he has become an industry in the past few years, with autobiographies, children’s books, cook books, stage shows and documentaries. But at the heart of it all, Barnesy is

a singer. This Is The Truth – the centrepiece of this record – puts the focus on his undeniable vocal, filled with heart and emotion. And the Jimmy Webb-like ’ Til The Next Time shows he’s a fine storyteller as well. Nearly three decades after his acoustic collection Flesh and Wood , Flesh and Blood is a rocking affair, a sure-footed set of songs that sits comfortably alongside his classic ’80s solo work. The Springsteenesque title track is a love letter to family, passing on the hard lessons he’s learned along the way. “You see, I tried to teach them how to swim,” he sings, “through waters deep, so they won’t drown/ To keep their heads up high, ’cause that same water used to drag me down.” The album concludes with a couple of surprising covers – Love Hurts (a duet with wife Jane) and Tennessee Waltz , complete with bagpipes, with daughter Eliza-Jane. “The final step I take is getting near,” Barnesy notes. But right now, he remains at the top of his game. (Bloodlines) Jeff Jenkins

Alice Skye I Feel Better But I Don't Feel Good It’s been an incredible year for Alice Skye. After being featured on Midnight Oil’s The Makarrata Project record and tour, she popped up on Moby’s new album and the updated Kev Carmody tribute album. And the Wergaia/Wemba Wemba artist has now released her second album, I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good . As the title suggests, Skye is not afraid to share her life with listeners. “Lately, I’ve been trying to sort myself out,” she confides in Grand Ideas , which has a hook that will stick in your head all day. And in in the opening cut, Stay In Bed , she reveals: “I have bad social anxiety.” Skye’s voice is dreamy, but it pierces your heart. “I’m working on myself to get better at it,” she sings. But she’s already pretty damn good. (Bad Apples) Jeff Jenkins

Baby Animals Baby Animals (JB-exclusive 30th anniversary blue vinyl reissue) It’s easy to forget just how big this album was upon its initial release 30 years ago. If you were in Australia in the summer of 1991/92, you couldn’t avoid Baby Animals – they were everywhere. Their self-titled debut was released the same month as Nirvana’s Nevermind , and it actually sold nearly twice as many copies as Nevermind in Australia, preventing the American band from reaching number one. This 30th anniversary blue vinyl edition shows that Baby Animals should have conquered the world, with songs such as Early Warning, Painless, Rush You and One Word , and a singer, Suze DeMarchi, who was – and is – a star, an Aussie rock goddess to rank alongside Chrissy Amphlett. Produced by the legendary Mike Chapman, this record still rocks – and thrills. (Bloodlines) Jeff Jenkins

DZ Deathrays Positive Rising: Part 2

On Part 2 of the band’s Positive Rising ‘double album’ ( Part 1 dropped last year), DZ Deathrays fearlessly push the envelope. Demonic riffs and percussive-chant vocals evoke Kasabian during opener Skeleton Key before the chorus melody tips its hat to baggy. Fear The Anchor

(feat. Ecca Vandal) boasts a chorus affirmation worth repeating (“I/ Won’t let the fear wash over”); Swept Up deals sleazy, strip-club vibes; and sophisticated closer Positive Rising is Sabbath-level epic, with dynamic shifts aplenty plus sneaky, fuzzed-out bonus outro. Throughout Positive Rising: Part 2 , undoubtedly DZ Deathrays’ most guitar- heavy record to date, Shane Parsons regulates vocal nuances like never before ( Kerosene ), guitarist Lachlan Ewbank slays multitudinous ways (see: the hilariously titled Riff City ) and Simon Ridley’s drumming can only be described as majestic. (I OhYou) Bryget Chrisfield

16 JULY 2021

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