STACK #162 April 2018

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Cosmic Psychos Loudmouth Soup Rock bands don’t come more Aussie than the Cosmic Psychos; their 11th studio album opens with the sound of a beer can opening. For this punk rock group, 100 cans of beer is “100 cans of knowledge,” but the guys don’t ignore the inevitable hangover – 100 Cans... is followed by Feeling Average . Recorded at singer Ross Knight’s farm by the trio's European live engineer Silvia Vermeulen, the sound is raw and intoxicating, with some glorious heavy riffing – you can hear why so many Seattle grunge bands cite the Psychos as an influence. “Too dumb to die,” they sing... but it’s great that the Psychos are keeping the Aussie rock flag flying high. (GoThe Hack) Jeff Jenkins

Judas Priest Firepower

There is not much more that can be said about Judas Priest. Having formed in 1970, they have flown the flag for heavy metal for decades now and epitomise the genre, both visually and musically. Firepower is the band’s 18th studio album and they have pooled all their creativity and experience to deliver one of their strongest efforts in years. It doesn’t push the envelope – Priest really has nothing to prove nowadays – but it does treat the listener to killer songwriting and world class hooks. Like most veteran acts, new material is often viewed as a novelty in light of their classic material. This cannot be said of Firepower ; Judas Priest have upped the ante in more ways than one. (Sony) Simon Lukic

The Hard Aches Mess Sometimes when you hear an album which wrestles with the issue of mental health, you get an overwhelming wish to just help that artist get through it, because you can’t see them doing it alone. Mess – the second full-length release from Adelaide duo The Hard Aches – feels different. Maybe it’s the positivity that cracks through these sad songs like the morning sun through a closed blind. Maybe it’s the happy/sad backbeats which

drummer Alex Upton litters throughout. Maybe it’s the band’s unashamed honesty. The title track is a confident kick-off; while it touches on anxiety, long distance relationships and fatigue (emotional and physical), it doesn’t let the themes overwhelm itself. The back-and-forth between David and Camp Cope’s Georgia Maq on Happy is a starring moment, providing the loveliest and most wholesome duet you’ll hear this year – and just as final track Family feels it’s about to end, Maq busts in to send shivers down your spine again. Grinding My Teeth is a self- deprecating look in the mirror; On The Mend is far more triumphant: “I’m pretty down at the moment but I’m on the mend, I’ll come good again.” Mess is for anyone who has ever hated themselves or their life, been fed up with their job or has missed their family, or who is battling mental or emotional pain. It’s okay not to be okay; let’s all get okay together. (Anchorhead/Warner)Tim Lambert

Jimi Hendrix Both Sides Of The Sky I've always been wary of posthumous Jimi Hendrix releases based on the number of duds made available over the years. However, since Hendrix's engineer Eddie Kramer's involvement in the restoration of the guitarist's music, each new release is a must-have. These 13 studio recordings made between 1968 and 1970 find Hendrix and both his bands – The Experience and Band Of Gypsies – with guests including Johnny Winter and Stephen Stills (at the top of their game), reinventing Muddy Waters' Mannish Boy , Joni Mitchell's Woodstock , Guitar Slim's Things I Used To Do , and Hendrix originals Hear My Train A Comin' and Cherokee Mist , with the legend on electric guitar and sitar. (Sony) Billy Pinnell

PP Arnold The Turning Tide

Jeff Rosenstock POST- The compelling third solo album from Long Island punk Jeff Rosenstock weaves between catchy and anthemic ( Yr Throat, Melba ) and dejected and sad ( TV Stars, 9/10 ). It's an honest, absorbing, 40-minute tip of the hat to 2016’s WORRY with an emotionally numb shake of the head at the shifting (read: dying) political landscape in America at the moment – “Tired and poor, tired and poor,” he shouts down the microphone over and over again during second track USA . It’s hard to tell if these calls are autobiographical or social commentary – the title suggest the latter, though I’m not convinced. Rosenstock plays the sad American really well, his despondence echoing many referential entries in the musical canon since Trump’s election. However, final track Let ThemWin gives me hope that there might still be a little fight left in him. (Sideonedummy/Warner) Tim Lambert

Michael Schenker Fest Resurrection Michael Schenker’s work with Scorpions, UFO and MSG will remain timeless and go down as some of the best hard rock music to ever grace a turntable. His impeccable songwriting skills and flawless guitar playing are as colourful as his controversial past, making him one of rock’s greatest figures. The last decade has seen Schenker return to his roots and this can be clearly heard on Resurrection . What he's here done is reunite with three past MSG vocalists and his current frontman Doogie White, as well as three former MSG instrumentalists, to flesh out the band. It’s a novel idea that proves to be an entertaining nod to the past, without sounding dated. Schenker remains relevant and vital not only as a guitarist, but as an artist. (Nuclear Blast/Caroline) Simon Lukic

In 1966, PP Arnold quit her job in Ike and Tina Turner's Ikettes during a British tour to become London's most sought-after soul singer. Successfully juggling a solo career with hit singles ( The First Cut Is The Deepest ) and session work with The Small Faces, Chris Farlowe, and Rod Stewart, it was no surprise when news broke that Barry Gibb and Eric Clapton were producing tracks for a new album... that never saw the light of day. However, on the eve of her first Australian solo tour (she performed with Roger Waters in 2002 and 2008), her long lost album – which includes covers of You Can't Always Get What You Want , Spinning Wheel and You've Made Me So Very Happy is now available. (Planet/MGM) Billy Pinnell

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