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REVIEWS MUSIC

Josh Pyke To Find Happiness

Fun fact: Every Josh Pyke studio album has hit the Top 10, but he’s yet to score a number one. Maybe that will change with his seventh studio album, To Find Happiness. Not that his work is defined by chart success. Pyke, the melody master, crafts pop songs that hit you right in the heart. Check out his track about identity and love, If You Don’t Know Me, Who Am I? , a powerful and poignant piece inspired by his mum’s battle with Alzheimer’s. Then there’s Your Heart Won’t Always Weigh a Tonne , a salve to troubled times. “Does the day bring fever and fear?” the Sydney singer- songwriter asks before a soaring chorus lifts even the heaviest of hearts. A Josh Pyke album might not necessarily deliver happiness,

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Stereophonics Oochya! “Is it the noise you make when you stand on a piece of Lego?", one Stereophonics fan hilariously queried of this album’s title on social media. Meanwhile, Urban Dictionary defines 'Oochya' thus: “The sensation of being snapped on the buttocks by a towel.” But, according to frontman Kelly Jones, it’s actually a gee-up – kinda like “let’s have it” – that Stereophonics holler in the studio. Stereophonics had initially planned to release a compilation to mark 25 years since the release of their debut single (1996’s Looks Like Chaplin ), but when Jones “began rooting through hard

drives to see what to put on it” he discovered some unreleased songs worth revisiting. A handful of Oochya!’ s songs were born this way, which in turn inspired Stereophonics to keep composing new songs for album number 12. Opener and clap-happy lead single Hanging FromYour Hinges – which was first recorded during sessions for the band’s previous set (2019’s Kind ), but didn’t fit that album’s more stripped-back tone – features a Jones guitar solo that pays homage to ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. From heartfelt balladeer (the piano-led Every Dog Has Its Day , which also features strings and R&B harmonies) to roaring, Bryan Adams-level raspy rock’n’roller ( Don’t KnowWhat Ya Got , an instantly catchy singalong moment), no vocal style is off limits for Jones – is it possible vocal-cord surgery actually improved his timbre? Standout track When You See It is everything you’ve ever loved about Stereophonics – punchy tempo, shimmering riffs, soaring choruses, reflective bridge – all rolled into one. Even though Oochya! is composed of previously unheard material, it really does feel like listening to a best-of. Watch and learn, aspiring rock gods. Stereophonics remain at the top of their game. (Ignition Records) Bryget Chrisfield

but it will provide a perfect soundtrack for the search. (Sony) Jeff Jenkins

Beirut Artifacts

Bakers Eddy Love Boredom Bicycles 'All gas, no breaks' feels like

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With a voice just like honey, Zach Condon's expert gift for intertwining vocals with warm brass has delighted listeners since Beirut's inception in 2006, conjuring images of hot summer nights in the desert under the stars. Delicate, subtle and immaculately balanced, Artifacts (subtitled The Collected EPs, Early Works & B-Sides ) is a fascinating retrospective which folds 16 years of song into 26 tracks, reflecting on the origins and evolution of the band. " What started as a few extra unreleased tracks from my formative recording years quickly grew into an entire extra records- worth of music from my past," Condon has said of this collection. The entirety offers a glimpse into an artist who carved out his own unique space in the indie scene, and has consistently developed and improved upon it ever since. (Pompeii/PIAS) Jacqui Picone

Casey Barnes Light It Up Casey Barnes’ new album is not a live record, but it plays like a great gig: perfectly paced, with anthems and ballads, emotional highs and lows, and songs that will have you singing along as soon as you hear them. Put simply, Barnes – who hails fromTasmania and is now based on the Gold Coast – has crafted a country-pop classic, with the entire record sounding effortless and instant. As he declared in the first single, Come Turn Me On , “I can’t tell you why it feels right – it just does.” Barnes is capable of flicking the switch from fun – with cheeky cuts such as Kiss Me Like You Mean It and Love Fool – to ballads that are genuinely affecting and destined for greatness ( God Took His Time On You and Small Town ). Then there’s the title track, a life-affirming anthem that could easily become the soundtrack to sporting events around the world. Yep, as the kids would say, Light It Up has all the feels. Props to Barnes’ producers and co- writers MSquared (Michael Paynter and Michael Delorenzis) who have helped him deliver a career-defining record. The penultimate song here is called This Ain’t The Encore . “They’ll be singing our songs forever,” Barnes proclaims, tongue in cheek. But he might be right. You sense that this story is only just getting started. Casey Barnes could easily be our next country superstar. (Chugg Music) Jeff Jenkins

the perfect way to describe the debut record from Melbourne outfit Bakers Eddy. Undeniably fun, Love Boredom Bicycles is a sensational amalgam of indie and punk – a combination that is so unquestionably cheerful it’s impossible not to grin the whole way through. Bursting with youthful exuberance and delightfully catchy hooks, it’s a record meant for festival stages during the summertime. Energetic and joyful, this record is a clear indication the band are hitting their stride with their first release and will no doubt have plenty more to offer. (Ivy League) Jacqui Picone

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