STACK #239 September 2024

FEATURE MUSIC THIS MONTH?

BILLY’S PICK

JOHN COLTRANE A Love Supreme UNIVERSAL Saxophonist/composer/band leader John Coltrane is among the most acclaimed figures in the history of jazz music. Equally at home playing

SNOW PATROL The Forest Is the Path UNIVERSAL

THE THE Ensoulment EARMUSIC/ ROCKET

They’re no longer Chasing Cars . Indeed, Snow Patrol are born again on their seventh album, their first in six years. It was

England’s The The celebrate their 45th anniversary with their first studio album since 2000’s NakedSelf . Singer Matt Johnson has been the only

preceded by the single The Beginning , but despite the title, it’s reminiscent of their trademark emotional pop. And it still hits you right in the heart. A welcome return. GEORGE STRAIT Cowboys and Dreamers UNIVERSAL

constant in the band’s journey. But this record sees The The reunited with producer Warne Livesey, who helmed their 1986 breakthrough Infected , and later went on to work with Midnight Oil. TINDERSTICKS Soft Tissue CITY SLANG/ INERTIA

alto, tenor, and soprano sax, he moved effortlessly from his early bebop and hard bop recordings to the more accessible releases that included his arrangements of showtunes such as My Favourite Things and Chim Chim Cheree . On December 9 1964, leading a quartet featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones, Coltrane was at his peak, recording A Love Supreme in one session. A deeply religious man, Coltrane once said that the four parts on the album represented his struggle for purity and were an acknowledgement that a musician’s talent comes from a higher power. Guitarists Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin both released albums inspired by the music on A Love Supreme .

American country legend George Strait has had 60 number one hits on the US country charts – more than any other artist. On his

England’s Tindersticks make sophisticated cinematic alt rock. Their 14th album sees

them trying to make sense of a strange world; “despairing at the destruction,” notes singer Stuart Staples, “suspecting you are responsible”.

31st studio album, he’s still flying the flag for traditional country, “like an old Merle Haggard song”. Damn Strait!

Radio legend Billy Pinnell presents Billy Pinnell’s Musical Moments on YouTube.

AUSSIE RELEASES

JEFF LANG More Life ABC Physically, Jeff Lang is not a big man. But he’s a giant when it comes to the guitar. He also has a remarkable body of work. You just have to scan the list of guests on his new album to realise how respected he is in the music world. The line-up includes John Butler (who pops up on the first single, Seek High ), Don Walker, Liz Stringer, Suzannah Espie, Kerri Simpson, and William Crighton. More Life is out on double vinyl – with stunning artwork by acclaimed American cartoonist Jim Woodring.

LITTLE QUIRKS Little Quirks ABC Little Quirks, from NSW’s Central Coast, are one of Australia’s finest family bands. They formed in 2015 when 15-year-old Abbey Toole grabbed her 11-year-old sister Mia and their 17-year-old cousin Jaymi and they started busking at local markets. Jaymi’s older brother, Alex, joined four years later. Now, after a string of excellent EPs, comes the band’s self-titled debut album. It doesn’t disappoint. It’s a delightful and, yes, quirky collection of heartfelt indie folk. And first single, Storm Like Me , shows they can also rock out.

POLISH CLUB Heavy Weight Heart ROCKET “Why on earth you wearing black?” David Novak asks on Polish Club’s fifth studio album. “Add some colour to your life.” That’s how this Sydney duo – Novak and drummer John-Henry Pajak – approach their music. They are one of our great party bands – you can’t help but move when you hear a Polish Club tune. But just when you think you’ve got them pegged, they show they’re no one-trick ponies, pulling out the powerful acoustic ballad Heavyweight , which packs an emotional punch.

TEENAGE DADS Majordomo CHUGG MUSIC Teenage Dads are all grown up. Their second album comes six years after their debut, and a year after winning the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist Award at the ARIAs. They’re following in the footsteps of Mount Eliza’s most famous bands – Australian Crawl and The Fauves. As for the album title, it means “one who makes arrangements and takes control for another”, so the band wanted to explore “how sometimes you might be the majordomo seizing the day, and others you are falling from the sky in a box, unable to do anything.”

Coming in OCTOBER

KASEY CHAMBERS Backbone (Oct 4)

COLDPLAY Moon Music (Oct 4)

DEAN LEWIS The Epilogue (Oct 18)

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