STACK #233 March 2024

REVIEWS MUSIC

San Cisco Under the Light San Cisco’s lead singer Jordi Davieson provides a one-line review of the band’s fifth album at the start of the second song: “You’re makin’ me high, and I don’t want to come down.” This record is one big pop thrill from start to finish. You could call San Cisco’s sound radio-licious – pop radio should eat it up. Honeycomb is a sweet treat, with its Prince-like lyrics: “I don’t want salad,” Scarlett Stevens sings. “I want sweets/ I left my mind in the back seat.” Then there’s Lost Without You, which captures the highs and lows of love: “We might be fighting, but you bring all of my light.” Later, Davieson admits, “Under the light you never know if it’s fake or love.” But if you needed proof, this album shows that San Cisco are the real deal. As Davieson declares, “Life’s never boring when you’re my ride.” (Island) Jeff Jenkins

Middle Kids Faith Crisis Pt 1 Confusion, despondence,

Mildlife Chorus There’s no other Australian

Bleachers Bleachers

Bleachers is an album about a man in love. In love with his city, in love with his girl, and in love with the tremendous and terrifying weight of being alive. Painted with the broad strokes of subtle and purposeful production we've come to expect from Jack Antonoff, this is also an album that allows his singular lyrical work to take centre stage. The comparisons to New Jersey peer Bruce Springsteen have always been there, but never have they felt more clear and apt than on this album. Vulnerable, honest, and dappled with yearning and earnest joy, Bleachers – the official, six-piece band – continue to showcase that they are more than a Jack Antonoff hobby. A bold early shot at an album of the year, Bleachers is a surprise and a delight, in the tradition of this act's every new offering to the world. (Dirty Hit) Jacqui Picone

and a bright gut-driven hope are twisted all the way through Middle Kids’ outstanding third album, Faith Crisis Pt 1. It seamlessly weaves soothing instrumentation with charismatic lyricism, and lead singer Hannah Joy’s emotive delivery brings authenticity to each track; you'll want to sink into this soup of love, growth, and self-discovery. The record is beautifully polished (the band's production has consistently improved with each release), and its dynamic range keeps it engaging throughout, from anthemic choruses to quieter, reflective moments. Joy and her bandmates Tim Fitz and Harry Day have crafted a stellar record here, which solidifies their place in Australian indie lore. (Island) Jacqui Picone

band quite like Mildlife. And Chorus – the follow-up to their Top 10 smash Automatic, which won 2021's ARIA for 'Best Jazz Album' – finds them at their most adventurous. African beats segue into trippy electropop – and that’s just the opening cut, Forever. Drummer Jim Rindfleish says the record is “about cosmic capability and chemistry: what makes things work… it’s the rhythm of nature”. The Melbourne four-piece fuse jazz, disco and yacht rock, and somehow, it works. Chorus is an ironic title for their third studio album, because it really sounds like one long, sophisticated jam. The 9.11-minute title track is filled with ambient noises, a killer bassline, and a hypnotic keyboard riff – and no choruses. Impossible to pigeonhole, but also impossibly cool. (Heavenly Recordings) Jeff Jenkins

MGMT Loss of Life Blending their trademark psychedelic vibes with weird,

Gary Clark Jr. JPEG RAW

The Jesus and Mary Chain Glasgow Eyes

No longer should Gary Clark Jr. be referred to as a 'blues rock' guitarist and singer. His eclectic range as a musician, singer-songwriter and arranger are on full display on JPEG RAW , his most recent and adventurous release. The record draws from his initial blues inspirers, in addition to his ever-expanding musical palette, which explores funk, rap, social commentary, jazz, African, intercultural, hip-hop, and rock. Guests include Stevie Wonder, singer and multi-instrumentalist Valerie June, trumpet virtuoso Keyon Harrold, and funk legend George Clinton. The four-time Grammy winner continues to enhance his reputation as one of music's true innovators with the release of this album, which truly defies boundaries of any kind. (Warner) Billy Pinnell

introspective soliloquies, MGMT have knocked it out of the park on their 'comeback' album, the experimental and boundary-pushing Loss of Life . In their first studio album in six years, the Connecticut duo stretch their creative muscles and flex some newer tricks, but you can still expect the enigmatic lyrics we love from yesteryear. They explore a whole gamut of styles – each track offering something different – rewarding those listeners willing to explore its complexities. It also contains the first-ever feature on an MGMT album: celebrated French singer Christine and the Queens. MGMT remain a musical oddity, always evolving to deliver something freshly engaging each time; on their fifth album, they continue to surprise. (Mom+Pop) Jacqui Picone

The Jesus and Mary Chain (JAMC) present a rare, free and beguiling expression of creativity on Glasgow Eyes. Such an unruly approach to songwriting needs a deft hand to manipulate the dials, and these stalwarts of alternative rock show exquisite command over their craft.

In a distinctive stylistic shift, Glasgow Eyes sees JAMC do away with the bright-eyed, pop-inspired songwriting that featured prominently on their last album, 2017's Damage and Joy (the act’s first release since disbanding in the late '90s). Instead, the record concerns itself with curating a type of angular, less accessible sound in the annals of alt. After an eclectic introductory passage (replete with laser beam sound effects and fuzzed-out digital tones), Venal Joy Fast immediately spurs us forward with an airy, propulsive rhythm. Post-punk’s fingerprints are all over the Joy Division-esque jamcod ; the distorted Pure Poor drags its feet in a hazy saunter; and the sun-steeped The Eagles and The Beatles ironically makes more references to The Rolling Stones than its namesakes. Silver Strings finds the band skulking across a wire of intricate staccato notes, while the murky soundscapes of Chemical Animal provide the ideal backdrop for the Reid brothers' poignant tale of substance use. Once Glasgow Eyes 's frequencies weave their way into your subconscious, you’ve no choice but to ride the current of these brainwave vibrations – so plug yourself in! (Fuzz Club) Alex Burgess

79