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MUSIC REVIEWS

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Anita Lane Sex O'Clock

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raise The Roof Take one Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and one Bluegrass Hall of Famer, mix 'em together, and what do you get? Well, the unlikely but absolutely magical musical pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. It’s been 14 years since the release of their multi-Grammy- winning album Raising Sands. Yet again they bring in an all-star band, some returning: Marc Ribot and Jay Bellerose, and new additions Buddy Miller and Bill Frisell – and again, production by T. Bone Burnett. This is a great selection of songs from legends and unsung heroes of folk, blues, country and soul, like Calexico, Merle Haggard, Allan Toussaint, The Everly Brothers and others. On paper, this shouldn't work – a bluegrass songbird and Zeppelin’s acrobatic vocalist – but oh boy, it is truly something special. (Warner) Denise Hylands

FEATURE ARTIST

Anita Lane led a remarkable rock ’n’ roll life. After collaborating with The Birthday Party, she was a founding member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, co-writing the title track of their debut, From Her To Eternity . Twenty years ago, Lane issued her second solo album. Sadly, it would be her last. When she died this year, aged 61, Cave called Lane “the smartest and most talented of all of us, by far”. This 20-year reissue of Sex O’Clock – which was in the works before Lane’s passing – sees the album released on vinyl for the first time. Cave notes, “these precious offerings are a fraction of what she was”. But the album, produced by Mick Harvey, is a fitting tribute, the work of an artist who could be both dreamy and direct, delivering a compelling collection about love and hate, desire and death. (Mute) Jeff Jenkins

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts Steven Van Zandt, the E Street Band guitarist, later admitted he was sceptical about the 1979 concerts against nuclear energy. He wondered how “a concert and audience full of hippies” would pressure politicians, asking: “What was preaching to the converted supposed to accomplish?” Bruce

Springsteen had his own doubts. He was about to turn 30, a milestone that made him uncomfortable. But the No Nukes shows – including the live debut of The River – dispelled any qualms he was getting too old to rock, and confirmed that he was fronting America’s greatest band. MUSE – Musicians United for Safe Energy, a group which included Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Graham Nash – issued a triple live album two months after the concerts, featuring Springsteen’s cover of Stay and his Detroit Medley ( Devil With The Blue Dress/Good Golly, Miss Molly/Jenny Take A Ride ). This album reinserts the medley’s “medical emergency” speech that was deleted from that album. “If there’s anybody in the house that has a weak heart or a weak stomach, or has recently had a heart or brain transplant, please leave the hall during the next five minutes of this show, as it might be dangerous to your health,” Springsteen tells the screaming crowd. That’s about as outspoken as he gets. The music was his statement. And more than 40 years on, it’s just as potent. (Sony) Jeff Jenkins

Dope Lemon Rose Pink Cadillac

The Teskey Brothers with Orchestra Victoria Live at Hamer Hall A year ago, The Teskey Brothers took to the Hamer Hall stage in Melbourne for a one-off show with Orchestra Victoria. The venue usually holds 2,500 people, but due to the pandemic, the auditorium was empty. But the vibe was big. The result is a splendid live album, the band’s second live collection, following the 2020 chart-topper Live At The Forum . The strings send their soulful sound soaring – check out So Caught Up , which now sounds like a Bond theme. The Teskeys deliver reimagined tracks from their two albums – Half Mile Harvest and Run Home Slow – as well as two new Christmas crackers, Dreaming Of A Christmas With You and Highway Home For Christmas . In a word: tasteful. And the translucent red vinyl is a treat. (Ivy League) Jeff Jenkins

FEATURE ARTIST

Summer love. It’s like no other love. Looking for the soundtrack to your summer? Look no further than Rose Pink Cadillac , the third album for Dope Lemon (AKA Angus Stone). As he sings in the aptly titled Every Day Is A Holiday : “I wanna be the one who brings us to the sun.” This cruisy collection is filled with smooth grooves, perfect for long summer days lounging by the pool, drifting and daydreaming. Well... that’s the “daytime” disc, which is one half of the stunning picture disc. The second LP is darker, and delves into the nighttime. “Life’s a long-ass journey,” Stone notes in the title track, “with some fool that wrote the map.” But this is a terrific, trance-like trip to those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. The music meanders and mesmerises. Love is the drug. (BMG) Jeff Jenkins

Curtis Harding If Words Were Flowers

This album’s title was inspired by something Curtis Harding’s mother – a travelling gospel performer who taught him how to sing and play drums in church – once said: “Give me flowers while I’m still here.” Backed by a choir and spirited brass parts, Harding coos, “If words were flowers/ I’d give them

all to you,” during the opening title track. He also worships at the altar of hip hop (Harding was part of the hip hop group Proseed, and rapped and supplied BVs for Cee-Lo Green) and, on Hopeful , he raps atop horn-fuelled soul accompaniment. The instrumentation throughout If Words Were Flowers is innovative, fresh and genre-fluid, but Harding’s ridiculously versatile vocals always play the starring role: fluttering flute elevates So Low ’s 808s & Heartbreak -inspired vocoder-vocals and his flawless falsetto dominates Forever More ’s minimal, jazzy flourishes. Penultimate track It’s AWonder ’s laidback strut evokes the glorious Don’t Wanna Fight by Alabama Shakes. Although Harding’s third solo record was initially completed pre-COVID, he revisited the material to ensure it was timely. “Nina Simone said that it’s an artist’s job to reflect the times,” he explained. As such, If Words Were Flowers – a genre-diverse sonic bouquet – delivers much-needed comfort and peace while celebrating love and the importance of human connection. (ANTI- Records) Bryget Chrisfield

20 DECEMBER 2021

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