STACK #157 Nov 2017

MUSIC REVIEWS

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St. Vincent Masseducation

Jeremy Neale Getting The Team Back Together

The undisputed queen of rock Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent, is back. Here we have Clark at her most unapologetic, candid and seething: Pills mocks our culture’s heavy reliance on medication, and Los Ageless is a spiral into insanity over the breakdown of a relationship. Clark certainly isn’t afraid to be bombastic; the title track features vocals layered for an amplified effect, while on Young Lover her voice, quite astoundingly, resembles a theremin. There’re many angles to St. Vincent, which gives Clark the opportunity to continually morph her sound into a wide range of styles. Masseducation ultimately makes for a giddy, entirely commanding listen. (LomaVista/Caroline) Holly Pereira

Lovable Velociraptor frontman Jeremy Neale is here to make a name for himself with his debut album Getting The Team Back Together – a collection of fun, infectious tracks that cement his knack for melody. Instrumentation is definitely Neale’s strong suit, with songs like Small Talk boasting breezy guitars and Dancin’ & Romancin’ featuring classic '80s power pop synths. Neale’s voice is strongest on All My Life , the quirks of inflection an endearing touch. The Heartbeat of Life is Neale at his most sincere, while Light My Way takes the album out on a passionate note. Neale is a man full of surprises, with this release proof that there’s more to him than meets the eye. (Dot Dash/Remote Control) Holly Pereira

George Maple Lover Finally, finally we have a George Maple album. The globetrotting singer has released her boldly passionate but fragmented debut, delving into the femme fatale’s world of unrequited love, strength, weakness, pain and liberation. Lover is full of exceptional

streaks: the intimate Hold Me By The Waist ’s expansive, cascading climax; the What So Not-produced Buried ; GoldLink’s verse on Sticks And Horses , the glistening might in Hero ; the sensuality which bulges from Kryptonite . There are also more low-key moments which play out like a jazz singer in a smoke-filled back street bar, like the slinky-smooth Like You Used To , the delicate Slow Dancing or the dusky impasse Sweeter Than I . Even though the album is full of immersive drops and glitchy backbeats (it's worth noting here that Maple was the sole or executive producer on every track), the real highlight is her voice: delicate but demanding, fiercely powerful, completely empowering. (EMI)Tim Lambert

Jessica Mauboy The Secret Daughter, Season Two OST Beyond the ubiquitous singing reality shows, prime time TV is a wasteland for music, so kudos to The Secret Daughter producers for showcasing the singing talents of Jessica Mauboy. The show’s latest soundtrack, a generous 18-track offering, features Mauboy’s latest hits – Fallin’ and Then I Met You – plus covers of local gems such as Under The Milky Way , Solid Rock , Fall At Your Feet and Dumb Things . A standout is Mauboy’s take on Birds of Tokyo’s Plans , done as a duet with impressive co-star J.R. Reyne, and her version of Amazing Grace – in Indigenous language with the late Dr GYunupingu – is exquisite. (Sony) Jeff Jenkins

Custard The Common Touch

It might be easy for some to dismiss Brisbane’s Custard as pop jesters, but they sure know how to come up with a nifty pop tune. The Common Touch – their seventh studio album – sees Custard arrive at the rock ’n’ roll 'death age' of 27. But there’s a lot of life left in them. Though many of their songs are now more wistful than wacky, there’s still an undeniable energy, and it’s impossible to dislike them. Like their big brothers Mental As Anything, their work has always contained that wonderfully Aussie self-deprecating charm – check out this album’s first single, In The Grand Scheme Of Things (None Of This Really Matters). (ABC/Universal) Jeff Jenkins

Hanson Finally It's Christmas You think of them as that one song , but after six albums and a lifetime of relentless touring, Hanson have quietly become one of the most consistent rock bands on the planet. How do they bring life to the bloated, shambling zombie of holiday season standards? First, by opening Finally It’s Christmas with a vigorous soul romp of the same name.

The expectation is that these records are played through the house, the soundtrack for unwrapping gifts and stuffing faces, but the Springsteen- meets-Brian Wilson scope of this title track deserves all the decibels you’ve got. This sets the blueprint for the rest of the record, taking on greats like Elvis, Aretha, and Stevie Wonder in turns both reverent and electrifying in a way that oughta please pop fans across generational lines. If you’re looking for something to play on the 25th, this will cover you, but it equally serves as a reminder that Hanson’s pop songwriting chops are beyond question. After all, Santa makes year-end lists like the rest of us – some of these tracks deserve to be on yours. (Liberator) Jake Cleland

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