STACK NZ Aug #76

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Dinosaur Jr. Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not As an alternate to the instant nirvana of Farm (2010) and the effortless catch-and-embrace of I Bet On Sky (2012); J. Mascis’s latest with his most popular moniker offers an earlier-sounding tinge to this record, nowhere better exemplified than on Be A Part . It’s that unmistakable Fogerty-as-a-Gen-X-slacker vocal vibe and melody we love so well, again present on I Told Everyone . A distorted country/folk ballad arrives via Lou Barlow (written by, and on vocals) on Love Is… which segues masterfully into the fire/fury of Good To Know . This a grower – and like all DJ albums, it’ll take just two listens to feel like a well-worn pair of socks you refuse to throw out and instead wear to bed when no one’s watching. Chris Murray

Maala Composure

Trust Punks Double Bind

The Amity Affliction This Could Be Heartbreak Amity have officially reached levels of popularity that very few people saw coming. The Brisbane-based metalcore band have enjoyed a steady rise to become synonymous with Australian mainstream ‘heavy’ music, with thanks in no small part to unwavering radio support on the other side of the Tasman in recent years. Recorded at new Melbourne recording studio Holes and Corners with longtime collaborator Will Putney, the album’s clear standouts include This Could Be Heartbreak and nominated lead single I Bring The Weather With Me . Both are powerful but also incredibly vulnerable, leaving behind tough guy posturing in preference to hopeful honesty. Solid. Emily Kelly Eric Clapton & Guests Crossroads Revisited Beginning back in 1999, Eric Clapton’s regular Crossroads festivals have been air guitar heaven, with the rock icon jamming with an amazing line-up of guests on old blues standards and favourites from his own distinguished catalogue. Most of the shows are available individually, but this exemplary double album offers the perfect introduction, with 40 tracks spanning the festivals from 2004 to 2013. There’s not enough room to list all the guests, but suffice to say they include blues legends (BB King, Buddy Guy), Clapton contemporaries (Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck), newer stars (Gary Clark Jr, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band), and many, many more. Fret-tastic stuff. John Ferguson

Evan Sinton has come a long way since coming third as a 17-year- old on the 2012 TV show New Zealand’s Got Talent . Adopting the moniker Maala and swapping acoustic balladry for sleek electro- pop, the young Aucklander is now poised to become our latest breakout international artist. Synths whoosh, pulse and glide in all the right places as he croons his hook- laden tales of heartbreak and love, and while the emphasis is mainly on mid-tempo grooves, there’s a juicy dancefloor punch to Kind Of Love , a co-write with US hitmaker MoZella (who shared writing credits on Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball ). If you loved the latest Broods album, then this should be your next homegrown

The 2014 debut from these five young Kiwis was not quite a full album, but offered a garage-y affair with swagger and spunk. On these 11 tracks, we’ve left the garage (not too far, mind) and entered the studio with a bucket of angst to chow down on. That seductively dangerous alternate punk sound of the early underground ‘80s combines with fresh vengeance on Leaving Room For The Lord , while the opener Paradise/Angel Wire would easily have captivated a thinking man’s mosh pit at a mid- ‘90s outdoor festival. Fire, anger, sharpness and raw energy come through effortlessly throughout this must-have grower, yet it still retains a refined and superior delivery usually reserved for far older artists. Chris Murray

pop purchase. Adam Colby

MUSIC

Steve Abel Luck/Hope

Bernard Fanning Civil Dusk

ZHU Generationwhy

Although it features much of the same personnel – Gareth Thomas (Goodshirt), Geoff Maddock (Goldenhorse), Mike Hall (Pluto) – that performed on his last LP Flax Happy (2008), the third album from the Kiwi alt-folk singer is a sparser, more acoustic affair. There’s a haunting fragility to tracks like the opener Best Thing and Not Going Anywhere , just one of a number of songs to feature Abel's regular collaborator, US singer Jolie Holland. However the woozy Good Arm and the breezy jangle of Sidewalk Doves (NY City) finds him embracing his rockier side to good effect. Abel began working on this back in 2009, so it’s been a bit of torturous journey; it's good

His solo debut, Tea & Sympathy , was a classic. His second album, Departures , was a disappointment. Civil Dusk finds Bernard Fanning back in top form. Opening cut, Emerald Flame , has all the warmth that was largely lacking in Departures . It’s extraordinarily beautiful; one of the most exquisite album-openers you’ll ever hear. Fortunately, the rest of the record matches its magic. This is an album about choices and consequences, filled with songs about love’s tenuous grip, where “God is making music, the Devil is making wine” and the singer is hoping that “only the good love survives.” Place Civil Dusk alongside classics by Jackson Browne and Cat Stevens. It’s one of the year’s best. Jeff Jenkins

The music of Grammy-nominated Steven Zhu is a reasonable mix of Calvin Harris and Flume – even if you don't know his name, you'd probably recognise his 2014 hit Faded . Now he’s back with his latest album Generationwhy , which is already drawing comparisons to Daft Punk. If that isn’t thought provoking enough for you, this record also features DJ Khaled on IAM , so prepare for another one of his keys to success. Fans of Zhu and Skrillex's collab hit Working For It will love Electrify Me , and the rest of this substantiated deep bounce is enough to keep any long-time fan or newcomer at peace. He’s workin’ hard for the money, he want it all. Alesha Kolbe

to have him back. John Ferguson

AUGUST 2016

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