STACK #147 Jan 2017

visit stack.net.au

MUSIC REVIEWS

Coldcut Only Heaven Matt Black and Jonathan More have spent the last 30 years putting paid to the myth of originals vs. covers. Building on catalogues of samples pilfered from funk obscurities to Disney staples, Coldcut are owed a debt by everyone fromThe Avalanches to Girl Talk. Remixing has always been at its height when it can offer commentary beyond just a good beat, and that’s what this EP shoots for. Lyrics pour from collaborator Roots Manuva, diagnosing the modern ill of an oversaturated and untrustworthy media, the signal:noise ratio turned backwards and upside down. If you found the Situationists too dry and can see the appeal of scratching your brain mid-boogie, Only Heaven provides the itch. (Inertia) Jake Cleland

Various Spurts! Punk And Post-Punk From The '70s And Beyond Compilations like these have a tendency to uselessly rehash the canon, reiterating the tired history that, yes, Richard Hell and Television and The Ramones and the Buzzcocks were all bands worth listening to. And while Spurts! includes their cuts too, it’s also far more vast. This is a sprawling introduction to the past fifty years of punk, from the Velvet Underground’s proto stylings through the '70s legends and all the way up to Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Royal Headache, and the Smith Street Band. Lamentably, it falls prey to punk’s tendency to forget women: notable cuts fromThe Rezillos, Patti Smith, and The Slits appear, sure, but no Bikini Kill, X-Ray Spex, or Siouxsie to be seen. Nevertheless, it’s a succinct intro to punk’s bibliography. (Warner) Jake Cleland

Mick Harvey Intoxicated Women “Here comes another love, a marvellous love,” Sophia Brous coos in The Eyes To Cry , the standout track on Mick Harvey’s new album Intoxicated Women : “It is the love of your life.” There’s no doubt that Harvey, the erstwhile Bad Seed, has a deep and abiding love for the genre-busting Frenchman Serge Gainsbourg. This is the fourth and

final instalment in a remarkable series of tribute albums, which started in 1995 with Intoxicated Man and then delivered Pink Elephants (1997) and DeliriumTremens (2016). These are sophisticated, sensual songs, with a sense of humour. Baby Teeth, Wolfy Teeth – featuring Harvey’s son, Solomon, on vocals – sounds both childlike and menacing; the ever- impressive Jess Ribeiro pops up on two tracks, Prévert’s Song and The Drowned One ; while Harvey enlists German singer Andrea Schroeder to revisit Gainsbourg’s biggest hit, Je T’aime … Moi Non Plus , turning it into a German duet, Ich Liebe Dich … Ich Dich Auch Nicht , after Nick Cave and Anita Lane tackled the song on Pink Elephants . Harvey and Schroeder also generate some melodramatic magic in God Smokes Havanas – when Harvey intones, “I know it, darling, take my hand," it’s an invitation too intoxicating to refuse. (Mute/PIAS) Jeff Jenkins

The xx I See You Buoyed by the success of Jamie xx’s In Colour , London three-piece The xx have set out to expand on Jamie's sample-laden production – opening track Dangerous makes a quick job of that. Vocalists Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft’s crestfallen tones still hit me like an arrow through the heart; Say Something Loving expresses a forlorn sensation only The xx could articulate; A Violent Noise is, how do I put it... near perfect. On On Hold , Sim and Madley Croft sing about the naivety of love and their changing view of the subject. The difference between I See You and 2012’s Coexist is Jamie xx’s production; the inspired beats give every song a brimming optimism. A welcome, extroverted side to the band we haven’t seen before. (YoungTurks/Remote Control) Tim Lambert

Code Orange Forever

Dropkick Murphys 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory After almost two decades of the Boston group’s bagpipe-driven, beer-punk shout-a-longs, you either love Dropkick Murphys or simply don’t understand them. Personally, 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory makes me more patriotic of my Irish heritage than kissing the blarney stone on St. Patricks Day. Opening with the tin whistles of The Fureys’ The Lonesome Boatman , this could be the most Irish the group have ever sounded, and when Al Barr’s vocals begin in Rebels With A Cause it feels like a sonic pint of Guinness has been slid down the bar into my hand. Bagpipes, pub anthems, fast paced drums and mosh-inducing riffs litter the record. I’ll even overlook the sextet's version of You’ll Never Walk Alone (Everton > Liverpool) because it is the best track on the album. (Warner)Tim Lambert

The Band The Last Waltz

Pittsburgh’s rough and tumble rockers Code Orange knocked the ball outta the park with their last LP I Am King . In their quest to create an inventive and unique sound of their own, Forever makes perfect contact at times, with the occasional miss being comfortably attributed – admirably – to their ambition alone. “When you feel settled in, I want it to just f-ck you again,” drummer/vocalist Jami Morgan has said, describing the group's unique and at times uncomfortable tracklisting. With Kurt Ballou at the helm at GodCity studios, Forever is lent a polished form of fury, and is an important step forward for one of the finest in the game. (Warner) Emily Kelly

On November 25th, 1976, the founding members of The Band performed live for the last time. It was decided that a farewell concert would be staged with guests that included Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Paul Butterfield, and Ringo Starr among many others. Director Martin Scorsese documented the project, and The Last Waltz is now considered to be among the greatest concert films ever made. This new release includes the pairing of the audio and video for the first time. Outtakes include rehearsals and performances not featured in the original film. (Warner) Billy Pinnell

JANUARY 2017

12

jbhifi.com.au