STACK #149 Mar 2017

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Milky Chance Blossom

All Our Exes Live In Texas When We Fall Take four gals, an accordion, a guitar, a ukulele and a mandolin and you have All Our Exes Live In Texas. Did I mention these girls sing? And oh, can they ever sing. Hauntingly beautiful four-part harmonies will sweep you away through songs filled with humour and melancholy on When We Fall . Hailing from Sydney, Elana Stone, Katie Wighton, Hannah Crofts and Georgia Mooney found their special connection only three years ago and have been wowing folks ever since. A wonderful debut album highlighting their indie- folksy-country sound, inspiring songs and magical voices.

Do you remember Stolen Dance ? If you thought Milky Chance were done with their catchy tunes, you couldn’t be further from the truth, as they have returned to permeate the radio waves with Cocoon – the Hottest 100 #12. New album Blossom ’s lead single is not so much an observation of larval life cycles as it is a reflection on the German group’s relationships and life experiences – a theme resonant through the rest of the album, which itself is a new, slower departure from some of their previous releases. Worth repeat spins are Ego (personal favourite) and Firebird , if just for the kick-ass instrumental bridge

Kingswood After Hours, Close To Dawn Some say if you aim for the sun you might just end up among the stars. If that’s the case, Melbourne rockers Kingswood are space bound. After Hours, Close To Dawn challenges your perception of this group. “Wait, I thought they were a killer Aussie pub band?” I hear you asking yourself. Sure, that is where the three-piece laid a solid platform, but they’re far

too ambitious to stay there. Right from the very first gasp of frontman Fergus Linacre on opener Looking For Love , this is a different Kingswood – there’s more soul, more ‘true feeling’ if you will. The trio have challenged themselves to greater heights than ever; for Alabama White , Linacre lay on his back in a sleeping bag with cinder blocks on his chest, to create the emotion in the vocals. That level of commitment is a sign of a band completely comfortable with their direction. Like Your Mother and Creepin provide heavier moments, while Big City and Atmosphere are pleasant, unexpected surprises. Belle is a Beatles throwback – imagine a '60s girl in a drop top convertible driving down the Great Ocean Road and you’re almost there. If you’re looking for a difficult second album, you’re in the wrong place. If you’re looking for Microscopic Wars 2 , you won’t find it. If you’re looking for the most complete work of 2017 to date: welcome. (Dew Process)Tim Lambert

(ABC/Universal) Denise Hylands

right near the end. (Neon/Universal) Alesha Kolbe

Lewis Watson midnight This is only Lewis Watson’s second album, yet his acoustic-pop has become so plump with powerful emotions that you may feel as though a witch has fattened you up, Hansel and Gretel style. Actually, that’s incorrect; with midnight ’s themes of love and loss as scaringly sentimental as they are bloated with enchanting imagery, you would have chosen to eat those sugary sweets yourself to stop your tears. Thus it may sound surprising that the English troubadour has actually made this album with a slightly happier tone than its predecessor, but he sure is a compelling wonder hidden in raw talent. Here’s hoping he won’t disappear when the clock strikes twelve. (CookingVinyl) Savannah Douglas

PVT New Spirit ‘Alternative’ may be too banal a word to describe New Spirit ; it sounds a little more like a robot and an alien beast getting down in the outback. Since their legal name change in 2010, Aussie band PVT (previously Pivot) have further embraced surrealism and continued experimentation, delivering them closer to the uttermost peak of self-discovery. New Spirit finds them expanding again, building an exhilarating soundscape from an abundance of simple compulsions piled on top of one another, reaching sky-high. It lends the record a rhythmic consistency, which – although as smooth as sandpaper – is where it gets its dense, voltaic texture. Listeners will be rewarded with a spiritual buzz like no other. (Create/Control) Savannah Douglas

Hadal Maw Olm Melbourne’s Hadal Maw

The Jesus And Mary Chain Damage And Joy The Jesus and Mary Chain imploded following the recording of Munki , their last long player, 19 years ago. Reuniting in 2007 essentially as a touring outfit, tempestuous brothers Jim and William Reid have finally recorded a new album. The Mary Chain’s signature distorted grit and texture is omnipresent, but Damage and Joy plays with a lighter heart, the tone decidedly more positive, and lacking the anger and venom of Munki . Produced by Youth (who also laid down bass on the album), Damage And Joy expands on the band’s unique sound and vocal style without significantly changing the formula. War On Peace , All Things Pass and Song For A Secret are standouts here, but any world with a new Mary Chain album in it isn’t a bad place to be. (Warner) Paul Jones

impressed many with their 2014 debut Senium . The band’s technical death metal approach was delivered with authenticity and a touch of eclecticism that gave Hadal Maw a unique underground voice. Olm takes the Hadal Maw sound a logical step forward. The band's dizzying musical chops are still on display, but at no time do they dominate at the expense of the song. Also impressive is the atmosphere the band have been able to harness over the course of the album; this ambiance, for lack of a better word, gives tracks such as Failed Harvest and Simian Plague an emotional presence that Hadal Maw’s peers are unable to harness. Olm should not be missed. (Rocket/EVP Recordings) Simon Lukic

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MARCH 2017

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