STACK #221 March 2023

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Paramore This is Why A clear-eyed and confident creation that feels like a superb culmination of all their previous records, This Is Why takes genre definers Paramore to new heights. Spiky, sleek, and unapologetically bold, the Tennessee trio take their jagged, boisterous pop-punk roots and elevate them to a mature and clean offering that reflects an act that have done their time and earned their stripes in a genre that has seen many other artists of the era fall short. Smart, nuanced and demanding your attention, This Is Why stands as the touchpoint for why Paramore will always be the leaders and

Caroline Polachek Desire, I Want to Turn Into You Pop auteur Caroline Polachek returns with her fourth solo record, which boasts a slew of collaborators including Grimes and Dido (on the same song!), and our own Kirin J Callinan. Polachek’s euphoric voice sits front and centre, Welcome to my Island demonstrating its sheer power as she hits a staggeringly high note to open the album. Flamenco tones underlie Sunset , and then Polachek’s vocal turns operatic before church-like organs heighten the triumphant I Believe . Meanwhile, Hopedrunk Everasking and Butterfly Net change the album’s pace and demonstrate Polachek’s versatility. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You ultimately highlights that though many offshoots of the pop genre exist, Polachek is leading the pack in a league of her own. (Perpetual Novice/The Orchard/ Sony) Holly Pereira

FEATURE ARTIST

Matt Corby Everything's Fine A lot of living has gone into Matt Corby’s third album. He became a dad. He had a tumour removed from his bowel. And his home was caught up in the devastating floods that ravaged northern NSW. Everything’s Fine could be an ironic title, but the singer’s positivity shines throughout the album’s 11 tracks. The opening cut Problems sets the scene,

with Corby taking a shot at politicians who put profit and personal gain ahead of the people. “It’s regrettable you’ve turned your service into a crime,” he sings, adding that “future generations have too many wrongs to get right”. But by album’s end, he concludes: “Cool down, everything’s fine... don’t freak out.” Everything’s Fine starts with what sounds like a mosquito buzzing in your ear, an appropriate opening to a record where the hooks are hard to pin down but they’re still humming days later. There are no real bangers. Instead, Corby has crafted a cruisy concoction, where the songs gently wash over you. He’s not afraid to address some big issues – check out Big Smoke , which deals with depression and addiction, though Corby manages to turn it into a delightful dreamscape. When his second album, Rainbow Valley , was released, we sensed that inside Corby was a ’70s soul man. Five years on, that soul man is on full display – and in complete control. (Island) Jeff Jenkins

legends of emo music. (Warner) Jacqui Picone

FEATURE ARTIST

Van Morrison Moving on Skiffle Skiffle, a mixture of American folk music, blues, country, and bluegrass, was embraced in the late '50s by The Quarrymen, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Alexis Korner. And also by Van Morrison, whose new album honours the music he first heard growing up in Belfast on the family radio and at the local record shop, music that would change his life. Throughout his distinguished career he has referenced these influences numerous times in his own compositions, and for the second time he's recorded a batch of songs such as Worried Man Blues, Mama Don't Allow, and Green Rocky Road , originally written and recorded by legendary artists such as The Memphis Jug Band, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and The Carter Family. Van Morrison is an important artist for many reasons, among them is his ongoing dedication to honour the music of such iconic musicians. (Exile Productions/Virgin) Billy Pinnell

Pierce the Veil The Jaws of Life Marked by vibrant lyrical work, droning guitars that belong in cavernous venues and an attitude of survival, The Jaws of Life feels like a storm brewing out at sea – constantly rolling, deceptively forceful, and almost restless in its pacing. Vic Fuentes’ instantly recognisable California drawl is the star of the record, equally in its explosive staccato moments and lingering, wistful reprieves. An immersive and delightfully versatile record from open to close, The Jaws of Life is a clear standout in the San Diego band’s already near-perfect discography. If 2022 marked the return of the emo band, it looks like 2023 is going to have a Pierce the Veil summer. (Fearless Records) Jacqui Picone

DMA'S How Many Dreams? DMA’S have made no secret of gleaning inspiration from the prodigious afterglow left in the wake of Britpop. For a style that has laid largely dormant for the better part of three decades, the Australian trio have conspicuously had their fingers right on its pulse, breathing new life into the sonic heartbeat that continues to resonate through much of modern guitar

rock that exists today. On their debut record Hills End , flourishes of Oasis inspired melodicism are discernible, just as there are traces of Blur’s nuanced and enterprising studio experimentation (the latter particularly prevalent on 2020’s The Glow ). But there is an ethereal quality that distinguishes them, and this dreamlike soundscape has now become the cornerstone to their distinctive sound - never more present than on their latest record, How Many Dreams? . Its titular track glistens with a sparkling, transcendent aura, while Olympia 's mesmerising arrangements are awash with euphoria and an enveloping rapture. Everybody’s Saying Thursday’s the Weekend is poetic in form and substance and written in a way that only hints at its meaning, inviting intrigue. Its intelligent wordplay is enhanced by DMA’S uncommon talent for elevating those everyday life events that barely register in our consciousness, and recasting them in a light worthy of our attention. It's what makes songs like Fading Like a Picture capable of eliciting such vivid imagery, and means 21 Year Vacancy is successful in exploring its spectrum of emotions with a relatable sentiment. It's not as if there haven’t been other acts who have tried to draw water from the same stream as the DMA’S; it's just that the Aussie lads have done it that much better. (IOHYOU) Alexander Burgess

20 MARCH 2023

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