STACK #189 Jul 2020

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Lime Cordiale 14 Steps To A Better You

Dream Wife So When You Gonna...

Arca KiCk i "Bitch, I'm special you can't tell me otherwise," Arca declares on this album's lead single Nonbinary, which features industrial clangs that could be Godzilla descending a steel spiral staircase. Keys-driven standout Calor is stark and blinding like sunlight reflecting from black ice. The abrasive La Chiqui (feat. SOPHIE) sounds like mechanised playground taunts. Throughout, vocal contributions vacillate between celestial and bestial, while unconventional song structures and metallic beats worm their way under the skin, slivers of silence emphasising cacophony. Arca has previously collaborated with Kanye, FKA Twigs and Björk (whose bewitching pipes glisten in Afterwards , KiCk i 's halfway mark). This amorphous, multi-disciplinary artiste's inexhaustible creativity spews forth and drips from KiCk i . (XL/Remote Control) Bryget Chrisfield Sydney’s Lime Cordiale are like an old-school Aussie band: they have built their reputation on the back of a formidable live show. After placing four songs in this year’s Triple J Hottest 100, their second album arrives, loaded with a remarkable seven singles. Fronted by the Leimbach brothers – Oliver and Louis – Lime Cordiale sounds like a lark. Their music is infectious and carefree. Indeed, there’s even a song called No Plans To Make Plans (complete with a twisted kazoo solo). But the happy-go-lucky attitude belies a hardworking band and songs with deceptive depth. Lime Cordiale started in 2009 and 14 Steps To A Better You shows they are more than ready for the big time. (Chugg Music/MGM) Jeff Jenkins

The sound of feedback marks the return of London trio Dream Wife, armed with a new collection of urgent pop-punk anthems. Switching from sweet to savage occurs throughout the record with the flick of a switch, with Homesick boasting the now iconic scream of lead vocalist Rakel Mjöll. Together with bandmates Alice Go and Bella Podpadec, the trio are an unstoppable force, with the title track a frenetic culmination of the band’s power. Though their rock roots are always present, DreamWife possess a strikingly tender side; U Do U and Hold On Me are melodic tracks that have the band dropping their guard to let listeners in. (Pod/Inertia) Holly Pereira

Alice Ivy Don't Sleep The follow-up to Alice Ivy's stupendous debut (2018's I'm Dreaming ) is a collab fest: Annika Schmarsel – the Geelong-raised producer/ multi-instrumental genius behind this moniker – shares her spotlight with (mostly female and non-binary) guest artists on 12 of Don't Sleep 's 13 tracks. Built from a summery horn sample,

Sunrise (feat. the aptly named Cadence Weapon) bursts from speakers/ earbuds with effervescent vivacity ("Up in the clouds, no I don't wanna come down"); Sweetest Love (feat. Montaigne and Bertie Blackman) incorporates irresistible squeaks (rubber ducky?), and Ngaiire channels Beyoncé throughout All For You . Stand-out track All Hit Radio (feat. Teef and TESSA) throws down a vocal hook that teases whistle-note heights, sweetening the badass rap-attack. A glittering gee-up soundtrack for future Champagne Late Nights, Don't Sleep documents Alice Ivy in full bloom. (Dew Process) Bryget Chrisfield

Rufus Wainwright Unfollow The Rules Rufus Wainwright's classical composition work (particularly his second opera, 2018's Hadrian ) informs his latest collection of theatrical pop, UnfollowThe Rules (named after a phrase coined by his eight-year-old daughter, Viva). Much of the album was recorded live, often in one take, and every single instrumental detail is essential. Damsel In Distress honours Joni Mitchell and Peaceful Afternoon – a romantic tribute to Wainwright's hubby of eight years – boasts a jaunty, celebratory waltz rhythm ("And I pray that your face is the last that I see..."). Even when singing about Early Morning Madness – which utilises an oblique, Bad Seeds-esque arrangement of deliberately lumbering drum pattern and woozy strings to masterfully illustrate a troubled mind – Wainwright's vocal performance is silken sublimity. Wainwright is so ready for his close-up. (BMG) Bryget Chrisfield

Khruangbin Mordechai

Glass Animals Dreamland

On their fourth full-length release, Texan trio Khruangbin utilise an array of influences from around the world to bring Mordechai to life. Known for their instrumental arrangements, the record sees the band centre the majority of tracks around vocals, with lead single Time (You and I) simple in its lyricism but compelling when accompanied by the song’s disco beat. If There is No Question is an atmospheric number with its dazzling guitar alongside Laura Lee Ochoa’s steady bass setting a relaxed vibe. Mordechai proves the band’s sonic prowess remains their most valuable asset, with each track a psychedelic ride that

English art-pop quartet Glass Animals return with their third album Dreamland , an epic feat spanning 16 tracks. The band’s knack for an undeniable chorus is evidenced early on the sensuous Hot Sugar , while their experimental leanings shine on Tokyo Drifting which features rapper Denzel Curry. Things take a cinematic turn on It’s All So Incredibly Loud and Domestic Bliss , though the band’s energetic production reaches its height on Heat Wave which cements the fact Glass Animals truly know their way around a beat. Closing track Helium marries the band’s indie rock roots with a stunning ambient outro to full effect, while also leaving listeners spellbound by vocalist Dave Bayley’s magnetic croon. (WolfTone/Universal) Holly Pereira

is every bit satisfying. (Dead Oceans/Inertia) Holly Pereira

82 JULY 2020

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