st215

MUSIC FEATURE

visit stack.com.au

ROBBIE RIDES TO 25 AMY SHEPPARD LEAVES THE FLOCK

T he phrase “Let me entertain you” came across as a manic plea on Robbie Williams’ debut solo album. But here – as the opener of a generous collection of orchestra- and choir-augmented hits from the English superstar’s extensive catalogue, to celebrate 25 years in the biz – it’s more like a distinguished suggestion from the now mature (but still electric) artist. This track especially benefits from its new arrangement, with pops of fat brass and a breakbeat section of soulful female

O n her debut solo EP, Amy Sheppard (of Aussie sibling three-piece Sheppard) delivers firefly-lit tales of love which will hurl you straight into your fave smalltown romance, while admiration for country music’s biggest balladeers is embraced with frank affection. The title track has a distinctly western landscape feel (down to the castanet flourishes) with cute glockenspiel and rousing “woah ohs”; lovelorn ballad Blue Guitar tells the captivating story of stumbling into an ex’s acoustic show ("I know you saw me, though

XXV by Robbie Williams is out Sep 9, including on JB exclusive transparent blue vinyl, via Sony.

Nothing But Wild (EP) by Amy Sheppard is out Sep 16, including on pink vinyl, via Empire of Song.

harmonies – but the entire album is alive with savvy details. Candy makes the most of puffing, chugging sax and Supreme is turned into gorgeous lounge, the interpolated strings from Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive soaring with fresh drama. XXV is a genuine rediscovery, from the guy who's all about reworking his material; be sure to get the deluxe version, to hear all three new tracks. AC

you chose to ignore me... 'cos you messed up the words to your song"); and the best moments come in Sometimes You Learn , which breaks out the Shania-lane sass with a rising arpeggio melody and a line-dancing-ready rhythm, with that irresistible extra heels-up snare. Amy may have left her fam flock, but a country-pop career is well in the making. AC

YeahYeahYeahs, Fever toTell (2003) We look back at the stories behind some of our favourite album covers.

Y eah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O met multi-disciplinary artist Cody Critcheloe in Brooklyn’s bountiful queercore/art-punk scene, at the turn of the fresh millennium. She was, she's said, immediately taken with the man’s “wacked out artistic sensibility.” O enlisted Critcheloe to paint the cover of her band’s debut album, directing him to illustrate each band member around a particular aesthetic: "She was really into how, when you go on the subway or whatnot, there's tons of flyers on top of one another," Critcheloe has said. "And things get peeled away, so there's all these layers. It looks beautiful, and trashy – it's that feeling of NewYork."

O’s praise for the artist has been, in turn, torrential: “It is my belief that Cody is a cult legend in the making,” she’s said. “I was helpless to [his art’s] electric, raspberry charm.” After the fateful Fever to Tell project, Critcheloe went on to create myriad audio-visual pieces under the moniker 'SSION' ("Shun"), directing videos for Kylie Minogue, Perfume Genius, Robyn, Mykki Blanco and more. He most recently directed Demi Lovato’s giant (five million views and counting) Substance clip, released last month, as well as the chaotically brilliant clip for Yeah Yeah Yeahs' June single (from upcoming album Cool it Down , due to land on September 30), Spitting Off the Edge of the World. ZKR

78 SEPTEMBER 2022

jbhifi.com.au