STACK #205 Nov 2021

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Image credit: John Spinks

FEATURE ARTIST

FEATURE ARTIST

Radiohead Kid Amnesiae This collection of reworked and rare morsels from the Kid A and Amnesiac era (2000-2011) makes you realise just how many experiments a band as innovative as Radiohead leaves on the cutting room floor; not because those ideas are inferior, but because the mothership has to lift off at some point and she can only fit so many of her babies on board.

Dami Im MY REALITY In the eight years since she won her The X Factor gong, Dami Im has released six studio albums – four of them in the top 10 – and yet, she never felt the reins were completely in her hands. Last year she slipped the Sony coop and signed with ABC, and now she's releasing her first album on which she wrote or co-wrote every track.

Amongst scouts into familiar snippets pulled from those two studio albums, there are some truly astonishing adaptations of long-beloved tracks here. On Pulk/Pull (True Love Waits Version) – a reimagining of Amnesiac 's strange little ruby Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors – juddering electric guitar and bass shift the familiar elements of the song completely; formerly sprinkled with Thom Yorke's mutterings, it's now crowned with harmonised vocals and distinctive chord progressions which snap previously random beeps and bloops into key; it's like suddenly noticing new details in an old photo you've looked at a hundred times. On HowTo Disappear Into Strings (reworked from Kid A 's HowTo Disappear Completely ), drums have been suctioned completely out – so those Wonka-boat moments when strings slide all over each other are even more discombobulating than the original, with nothing to anchor you. Then Yorke's voice descends from on high like a deus ex machina, reaching down to lift us free from the mire. Along with two individually brilliant unreleased/unheard tracks ( If You Say The Word and Follow Me Around ), there are no faded facsimiles here; Kid Amnesiae lifts a corner of the curtain on England's most ingenious and exhilarating band. (XL/Remote Control) ZKR

And Im knows how to spotlight her voice: the way isn't to belt at every opportunity, it's to make discerning selections about the instruments that will sit alongside her pipes. She's achieved it, with finesse. The simple thud of electronic beats (often literally just the bass drum) underpin her piano, with instrumentation never overwhelming her; high emotion ( Pray, Memories ) is balanced with more playful ideas, such as the adorable analogy at the heart of Lonely Cactus , and the Frankenstein beat (pieced together from sparse rattles and clacks) of Crying Underwater. The pinnacle is the triumphant Paper Dragon , in which detailed rhythms pop out from unexpected angles like seeds in a hot pan, and leaps of synth announce the chorus's thumping drums as Im implores us: “Don't try to fight – watch and admire.” In terms of the authenticity behind her delivery, Im is streets, roads and arterial expressways ahead of several of her contemporaries. With MY REALITY, she's showing them up – and showing us into her world. (ABC) ZKR

WIN MYSTERIOUS & MEGA-EXCLUSIVE COURTNEY BARNETT MERCH Shiver me timbers, rock me (tie-dyed) socks; what's inside Courtney's Mystery Box?

To celebrate the release of Courtney Barnett's brilliant new album Things Take Time, Take Time , we're giving away an incredible Ultra-Limited Edition Mystery Box (only 150 made!) thanks to Remote Control/Milk! Records. It features Barnett's album on vinyl, and all items in the Mystery Box come contained inside an official Crosely faux-leather record carrier case.

Here's what you'll find inside: Crosley Faux Leather Record Carrier Case (Holds up to 30 albums) 'Stars In The Sky' Blue LP of Things Take Time, Take Time Pocket Music Book Set of 3 Postcards featuring exclusive artwork by Courtney Barnett Customized notepad of things to look forward to Custom pencil pouch Blue tie-dye socks Also contains several secret mystery items hand-picked by Courtney

To enter, head to https://stack.com.au/competitions/courtney-barnett-mystery-box/

30 NOVEMBER 2021

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