STACK #148 Feb 2017

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Foxygen Hang Foxygen have always been expert fans, longing to have been born decades earlier for the British Invasion. As it is, these two Californian boys are leading a kind of British Resuscitation. Hang takes the pomp and strut of Berlin Bowie, the glam-gloom of Lou Reed, Sgt. Pepper’s marching drums, and the operatic grandeur of The Who as a mandate for stardom, and the resulting Frankenstein’s monster is naturally easy on the ears. It’s not like they’re coy about it, either. Tracks like Avalon , with its blatant Waterloo -via- Born To Run homage, reveal Foxygen as true-blue pop obsessives. The traditional argument is that self-expression is virtuous and formalism should be rejected, but Hang proves how good you can sound if you embrace the past. (Inertia) Jake Cleland Sampha Process On debut album Process , 28-year- old Londoner Sampha lays bare the anguish, loss and love that has guided him down the arduous path of life. The compelling Blood On Me has the crooner desperately on the run, anxiety lingering on his breath. When the sombre, harrowing piano takes the spotlight on (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano , his vocals are unassuming, delicate and beautifully imperfect. The fragile and alienated Plastic 100°C and wistful Reverse Faults showcase the underlying tension in Process , much like in Solange’s A Seat At The Table (on which Sampha produced and sang). The minimal-electro plea for forgiveness Timmy’s Prayer is sorrowful, disturbingly romantic, self-deprecating and nervous. This Timmy’s prayer is that this album never ends. (Remote Control)Tim Lambert

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard Flying Microtonal Banana Few bands approach music quite as much like a job as King Gizzard, and their bosses – the increasingly demanding audiences – expect results. That might be why King Gizzard’s latest experiments have felt less ambitious than the leaps between earlier records. The genesis of Flying Microtonal Banana was curiosity over what they could do with microtonal instruments, which is as good a reason to put out a record as any, but however much the band changes its tuning, better bands have had worse runs and if King Gizzard can maintain that consistency throughout the other four albums they’re putting out this year, those bosses will be plenty happy. (Remote Control) Jake Cleland their songwriting approach is fundamentally the same. Still, Thundamentals Everyone We Know Blue Mountains hip hop squad Thundamentals have lifted the bar on their fourth record Everyone We Know . Poncho and Morgs’ production is the best it’s been; the contagious xylophone popcorn beat on Reebok Pumps , the brass solo on Never Say Never , even the neck- rolling beep tune in Milk & Honey take the album into a zone Thundas haven’t been before – something rappers Tuka and Jeswon have taken full advantage of. The MCs spit fire on Ignorance Is Bliss , bouncing off each other like kangaroos on a trampoline as they delineate the problems with straight, white, male privilege. Closing celebratory slow- builder 21 Grams (featuring Hilltop Hoods) signals Thundamentals’ final evolution: from peasants, to princes, to Aussie hip hop kings. (Universal)Tim Lambert

Kasey Chambers Dragonfly Dragonfly is the 11th studio album from Australian country sweetheart Kasey Chambers; she's loved for her heartfelt country interpretations, her open and honest songs, and her one and only unique voice. Lead single and first song written for the album Ain’t Your Little Girl is an explosive, emotionally-charged performance which sets the

pace for this double-disc serving. Recorded in two separate sessions, the first (the Sing Sing sessions) enlisted Paul Kelly as producer, whose leadership Chambers says was "a dream come true”. The second (the Foggy Mountain sessions) was with brother and longtime producer Nash, during which she's joined by her trusty and talented touring band. As you expect from Chambers, she’ll take you on a rollercoaster journey of emotions: heartache and happiness, frustration and hope, and a good dose of humour. She shares more of herself than ever before in this collection of personal stories, all enhanced by some good friends including Kelly, Harry Hookey, Foy Vance, Keith Urban, Vika and Linda Bull and Grizzlee Train. Having recently undergone vocal surgery, Chambers is sounding better than ever, with an incredible sense of strength and purpose. She definitely ain’t no little girl. (Warner) Denise Hylands

Various 12 Inch Dance: Australian '80s Pop The 12-inch single was an integral part of the ’80s scene; “Wait till you hear the 12-inch mix,” Molly would often say on Countdown . This diverse three-CD compilation gathers 37 mixes from the big ’80s stars, such as Models, Pseudo Echo, Kids In The Kitchen, Real Life and Icehouse, as well as highlighting forgotten acts like Beargarden, Schnell Fenster, Jump Incorporated and No Justice, and showcasing The Venetians’ lost classic So Much For Love . Some mixes are tedious, but many are thrilling – just check out Do-Ré-Mi’s Idiot Grin and Stephen Cummings’ Gymnasium , two tracks throbbing with ideas. (Festival/Rhino/Warner) Jeff Jenkins

Busby Marou Postcards From The Shell House There is nothing edgy about Busby Marou. “Forget about the crowd,” Tom Busby sings, “just let them pass us by.” These are campfire songs, with the Rockhampton duo’s breezy pop floating by, like a leaf on an early autumn day. Postcards FromThe Shell House – named after an old building on Great Keppel Island – features songs about friendship, lucky charms and drinking. They also sing about dying towns in Living In A Town and Aboriginal rights in Paint This Land , but the sound never veers from amiable acoustic pop. Charmingly understated, file next to Andy Grammer and Jason Mraz. (Warner) Jeff Jenkins

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FEBRUARY 2017

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