STACK Aug #154

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Everything Everything A Fever Dream I’m pleased to report that

The Ocean Party Beauty Point

Since 2014’s Soft Focus , it’s been impossible to pick The Ocean Party’s strongest songwriter. Breaking out of the fallow fields of Melbourne jangle, they’ve been advancing a form of guitar-pop that still bears the marks of your Paul Kellys and Go-Betweenses, but Beauty Point makes the edges of post-punk and NewWave more visible. The bubbling energy of Crisis and Quiet Life churn all panicked and anxious; the elastic bass of Concrete View and Strike anchor them as secret punk sneers. Elsewhere, street level romantics still linger: Memorial Flame Trees takes the Main Street, Anytown malleability of Cold Chisel’s classic and marries it to war memorials. Originally known for breezy Millennial yarns, The Ocean Party’s latest picks up where Robert Smith should’ve left off, and makes it look all too easy. (Spunk) Jake Cleland

Everything Everything’s ability to successfully squish a sackload of experiments into one canny pop gem hasn’t dulled in the two years since 2015’s critically acclaimed Get To Heaven . That very Radiohead thing of mixing lyrical platitudes (“I want to be done by twenty to four” from single Can’t Do ) with cryptic or mangled aphorisms (“I don’t want your cake, I never eat it anyway” from stand-out Run The Numbers ) is very much present; I’m not sure if Jonathan Higgs is using his personal pronoun more than he used to, but A Fever Dream seems more candid than its predecessors. Start with the gorgeous Put Me Together , which perfectly illustrates the mastery of dynamism and ‘eclectic cohesion’ the English four-piece possess. ( Sony) Zoë Radas

Vera Blue Perennial

What happens when it’s over? Vera Blue’s debut album is like 12 steps, or songs, to recovery. A break-up record, it’s an electro-pop journey from anger to acceptance, and heartbreak to happiness. Starting with a song called First Week and ending with Mended , it’s like the listener is sneaking a

peek at Vera Blue’s diary. “I just wish I could find who I was before,” she confides, “and I know it’s for the best, but that doesn’t mean my heart’s not ripped out of my chest.” Like a modern day Joni Mitchell, Vera Blue is a compelling confessional singer-songwriter. Perennial ... the strength of this album shows she’ll be back with more. (Universal) Jeff Jenkins

Shane Nicholson Love And Blood

Lana Del Rey Lust For Life

Coldplay Kaleidoscope EP

David Rawlings Poor David's Almanack

Shane Nicholson has already proven himself to be one of Australia’s outstanding Americana singer-songwriters. Both solo and in collaboration with Kasey Chambers, he’s collected himself a swag of awards, from ARIAs to Golden Guitars. For Love And Blood , he removed himself from his daily digs and took off to the isolation of the Hawkesbury River (NSW), to find inspiration for his sixth solo album. Here along with a cast of wonderful guests – including legendary Nashville Americana artist Buddy Miller, who adds his voice and guitar prowess – the always sincerely personal Nicholson shares his current matters of the heart with an uplifting determination of love and hope. (Lost Highway Records/ Universal) Denise Hylands

With her fifth studio album Lust For Life , Lana Del Ray is back with much more of the same – but by no means is that a bad thing. A vulnerable, self-aware journey, Lust For Life is Lana’s antidote to the pop-laden charts of the day, with collabs from A$AP Rocky and The Weeknd the only elements which can really be compared to other releases of the moment. The 16-track cavalcade of Del Rey’s noteworthy, heavenly vocals features already beloved singles Love , Lust For Life and Coachella – Woodstock In My Mind , but the album closer Get Free is a clear stand out. (Universal) Alesha Kolbe

If you were lucky enough to catch Coldplay when they were recently Down Under, and you’re hankering for a new music fix – however small that may be – you’ll want to dive right into the Kaleidoscope EP. Though not exactly an original all-in effort, these five tracks are Coldplay at their most Coldplay- ish: calm, smooth, and reliable. You’ll find a remix (which is actually just a live recording) of their Chainsmokers collab Something Just Like This , which somehow improves upon the original, as well as the wonderful pick of the lot, Miracles ( Someone Special ) – which includes a sample of Marty McFly. No, it’s not a full album, nor is it anything remarkably groundbreaking – but sometimes it’s nice to go back to basics. (Warner) Alesha Kolbe

Dave Rawlings is a guitar man, and so much more. As Gillian Welch’s singing and musical partner on all of her albums, Rawlings occasionally steps out to offer up his own thang. On his third release – this time dropping “The Machine” moniker – you’ll find many of his amazingly talented friends again: Welch of course, but also Willie Watson, Ketch Secor (OCMS), Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith (Dawes) and others. It's just like an old time, back porch, all-in sing-a-long, harking back to days gone. This is acoustic and electric American folk and country, recorded live to analog tape at Rawlings' Woodlands Studio in Nashville – real American music packed with technical excellence and good times. (Acony Records) Denise Hylands

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AUGUST 2017

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25/7/17 9:39 am