STACK #240 October 2024

MUSIC FEATURE

visit jbhifi.com.au/stack WHAT’S OUT Whether it’s a voyage of musical discovery or a sonic reacquaintance with a favourite band or artist, check out these fresh releases heading to JB this month.

APHEX TWIN Selected Ambient Works Volume II WARP Richard D. James –

JAMES BAY Changes All the Time REPUBLIC

MC5 Heavy Lifting EARMUSIC

EDITOR’S PICK

A decade after his debut single, England’s James Bay delivers his fourth album, featuring Up All Night – a collab with

MC5’s first studio album in 53 years is sad but glorious. Guitarist Wayne Kramer announced the album in

known as Aphex Twin – is revered as one of the most important figures in modern

THE BLACK SORROWS The Way We Do Business ABC

The Lumineers and Noah Kahan. It’s the feel-good rootsy pop gem of the year, a stomping singalong that sets the scene for a sparkling album. LAURA MARLING Patterns in Repeat CHRYSALIS When Laura Marling released her 2020 character. But life imitates art. Following that album, the English artist gave birth to a daughter, and her eighth album opens with a song called Child of Mine . This record is a beautiful take on motherhood and family. LEON BRIDGES Leon SONY “I’m in a peaceful place,” American soul man Leon Bridges declares on his fourth album. “I found something no one can take away.” His smooth grooves hit the spot. “Play me something downtempo,” he requests. “Low-key and rocksteady.” album, Song for Our Daughter , she was singing for a fictional

2022. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see its release – he died of cancer in February this year. And original drummer, Dennis Thompson, died in May. But MC5’s punk spirit lives on. Maintain the rage. PARIS HILTON Infinite Icon 11:11 Media Eighteen years after her debut, pop icon Paris Hilton releases her second album, which lists Australia’s own Sia as executive producer. Hilton says Sia “brought out something in me that I didn’t even know I had. Before, I was more in the baby voice… and then, with this album, I just felt like a woman.” PIXIES The Night the Zombies Came BMG

electronic music. His 1992 debut was called Selected Ambient Works . Two years later, he released Volume II . And three decades on, this is an expanded edition. With four LPs, it’s quite a trip. Immersive and engrossing. BASTILLE & EMI

Fun fact: Joe Camilleri has released more than 50 albums in his remarkable career, but he’s never had a number one. His highestcharting record was The Black Sorrows’ 1990 album Harley and Rose , which peaked at number three. But Camilleri is a true music man. He doesn’t care where he lands on the charts, he just keeps making music. As backing vocalist Atlanta Coogan sings here, “One door slams and then another opens.” Which is how Camilleri does business. He’s a survivor. And a believer. And The Black Sorrows remain a top shelf act.

Bastille started as a solo project for singer Dan Smith, who was born on July 14 – Bastille Day. It grew

into a band who have had three chart-topping albums in the UK. Bastille’s fifth album, & (pronounced “ampersand”), is stripped back to a solo project, with Smith explaining: “I wanted to make a beautiful collection of story songs, using the lives of interesting people BLUEY Rug Island DEMON Is there anything that this loveable Blue

The new offering from Pixies is not a concept album. “It’s not like I wrote a bunch of songs about zombies or that

we tried to make the album sound scary or anything like that,” explains Black Francis. “Zombie is just an associative word. You can do with it what you like.” It’s certainly a striking title. As Francis says, “You know what? I’d go see that movie.”

Heeler can’t do? The third Bluey soundtrack is set to be another

smash hit, following 2021’s chart topping debut and 2023’s Dance Mode! , which peaked at number 7. Rug Island features songs from the show’s second and third series, with special guests King Stingray popping up on Octopus .

50 OCTOBER 2024

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