STACK #219 January 2023

MUSIC REVIEWS

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FEATURE ARTIST TRACK-BY-TRACK

FEATURE ARTIST

Ella Hooper Small Town Temple The dreadlocked teen is all grown up – and this is the album that Ella Hooper was destined to make. The over-the-top pop production of Killing Heidi is just a distant memory, replaced by a stripped-back rootsy sound, where the focus is on Hooper’s songs that are heartfelt and true – props to producers Marcel Borrack and Tim Harvey. “Shaking my demons out”,

Hooper confronts her past head-on and deals with self-doubt, pondering: “Who am I to try to take another bite of the cherry?” But the strength of Small Town Temple shows that some lives do indeed have a second act. For her new beginning, Hooper has gone back to where it all began. Small Town Temple is a love letter to her hometown in north-east Victoria. “She ain’t nothing fancy,” Hooper sings, “a little blip on the map.” But after riding the rollercoaster of rock, Violet Town helped Hooper rediscover what’s real: friends, family, community, and childhood memories. As she sings simply, “You can’t make new old friends.” This is the sound of an artist recapturing the joy and innocence of youth and taking control of her career. “I ain’t gonna kneel for no one,” she declares. “I ain’t gonna lower my tone. I’ll be my own goddess, I’ll be my own man.” It’s only January, but this will definitely be one of the albums of the year. (Reckless Records/Rocket) Jeff Jenkins

Image credit: Vincent Guignet

Iggy Pop Every Loser In a statement, Iggy said of the rockin’ all-star line-up he assembled to create Every Loser : “The players are guys I’ve known since they were kids and the music will beat the sh-t out of you. Have a great day.” He's talking bassists extraordinaire Duff McKagan (Gunners) and Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction); an abundance of guitar wizards (Jane's

Addiction’s Dave Navarro, Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard, and Josh Klinghoffer – formerly of Red Hot Chili Peppers); plus a slew of the world’s finest drummers in Chad Smith (Chili Peppers), Travis Barker (Blink-182) and dearly departed legend Taylor Hawkins (Fooeys). Every Loser ’s producer AndrewWatt also contributes guitar and backing vocals throughout. He’s self-described as “the guy with no shirt who rocks,” and let’s not forget that Iggy invented the stage dive as well. Every Loser , which contains 11 tracks (including two short interludes), is an exhilarating listen that spotlights Iggy’s delightfully self-aware lyrics. With the release of his 19th album, Iggy further cements his living legend status by returning to his raw, gritty roots. Language and content warnings are a given. FRENZY Of choosing this track as Every Loser ’s lead single, Iggy said during an interview, “When I listened to it, it felt like when someone’s in the room you’ve got the hots for, but you’re not ready to deal with it yet,” which we love. You know that urgent riff that opens Beastie Boys’ (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) ? Well, that’s how impactful Frenzy ’s opening guitar part is: like a siren demanding that you drop everything, tune in and prepare to be wowed as intensifying drums usher in the densest of guitar squalls. From Iggy’s opening statement (which is too hilariously raw to quote directly), it's immediately apparent that he’ll be dealing unadulterated realness with a generous sprinkling of razor-sharp wit. “So shut up and love me ‘cause fun is my buddy” – who could resist such suave, self-aware insight!? Iggy inquires, “Do you get it?” as if taunting Every Loser that doesn't. Listen and learn, young aspiring rockstars: this is exactly what it takes to become a once-in-a-generation icon... (Atlantic/GoldTooth Records) Bryget Chrisfield

Kimbra A Reckoning “I’m the accident waiting to happen,” Kimbra warns at the start of her fourth album. “It’s just a matter of time.” And like Daniel Johns’ FutureNever , you can’t look away. On her first album in five years, the New Zealand star comes across as both fragile and fierce, vulnerable and assertive, with her Prince-like pop punctuated by terrific twists and turns. The singer – who found worldwide fame as one half of Gotye’s blockbuster Somebody That I Used to Know – has delivered a record that’s part therapy session, part pop adventure. She’s dealing with some demons and confronting the fact that memories can tear you apart. “All I see, all that stays,” she laments, “are pictures of us on replay.” And later she confides: “I miss the way we were.” Yep, you won’t emerge unscathed. A reckoning, indeed. (Inertia) Jeff Jenkins

Natalie Imbruglia Left of the Middle (25th anniv. vinyl reissue) There’s no two ways about it: Natalie Imbruglia’s debut album was a blockbuster. Neighbours produced some remarkable pop stars – including Kylie, Jason, Delta, Craig McLachlan, and Holly Valance – but Left of the Middle is the biggest selling album by a former Ramsay Street resident, landing in more than seven million homes around the world. Of course, it was spearheaded by the career-defining Torn , a classic example of a cover so damn perfect it became the definitive version – like Daryl Braithwaite’s The Horses . But this album is certainly no one hit wonder – just check out Smoke and Big Mistake. Indeed, Left of the Middle was like an Aussie version of Jagged Little Pill , an album that defined a moment in time, winning eight ARIAs and two BRIT Awards. And 25 years on, it can still thrill. (Sony) Jeff Jenkins

Continue reading the full track-by-track online at jbhifi.com.au/blogs/music

34 JANUARY 2023

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