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MUSIC REVIEWS

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Felix Riebl Everyday Amen The Cat Empire always create a party vibe. Felix Riebl’s solo work, however, is a little more reflective. Though the feel is still upbeat, his third solo set – his first in six years – is an album for the morning after the night before, when you’re all alone and deep in thought. Riebl has a voice that speaks directly to you. “The vampires are coming,” he warns. “It’s coming, but you don’t know when.” This is a deeply personal collection – the final track is a lullaby for his daughter Anya, while the album is dedicated to his younger brother Max, who sadly died of brain cancer earlier this year. Ultimately, despite some dark moments, it’s a celebration of life and beauty. “Tonight, this music might just save my soul,” Riebl sings. Amen. (AWAL) Jeff Jenkins

White Lung Premonition

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"All gas, no breaks" is the perfect way to describe Vancouver band White Lung’s fifth and final record Premonition - begun in 2017, but continually set back due to life (quite literally in the case of Mish Barber-Way's pregnancy with her first child). Setting a galloping pace from the outset, the barrage of drums and shrieking guitars are a faultless backdrop to Barber-Way’s razor-sharp vocals. It’s The Smashing Pumpkins meets Dead Kennedys, never pausing to take a breath or hold your hand, just barrelling headfirst into a cacophony of noise and lamentations. Unflinchingly candid, frantic, and authentic, White Lung’s final record is a late contender for 'Album of the Year' lists, and an eternal reminder of just how effortlessly tight they are. (Domino) Jacqui Picone

Leftfield This Is What We Do WOW! What an incredible opening statement This Is What We Do 's title track is – Star Wars pew-pew laser warfare meets hands-in-the-air underground

rave. Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten delivers a standout performance narrating Full Way Round ; we’re intrigued, but also somewhat terrified as he articulates his scattered thoughts during a heckers cab ride after a night out. Musically, this track also sounds like zipping through a lit city at nighttime. Making a Difference features author/poet Lemn Sissay – who appeared on Leftfield’s seminal 1995 debut, Leftism – reciting his 2018 poem with which this track shares its title. Barnes also reconnected with reggae singer Earl Sixteen – who first sang with Leftfield on 1992’s Release the Pressure – for the bubbling, dub-infused Rapture 16 . Built from a tribal beat, Heart and Soul reawakens our muscle memory as we dust off some vigorous, Earthcore-appropriate dance moves. Then Accumulator ’s industrial, clanging beats hijack our brain’s frontal lobe, making it impossible to remain still. More than 30 years into their career, Leftfield continue to break banging new ground with their subversive and uncompromising yet inclusive sounds. This Is What We Do , which is dedicated to the late DJ AndrewWeatherall, will make you fall in love with electronic dance music all over again. (Virgin) Bryget Chrisfield

Joji Smithereens

Disturbed Divisive A wise person once said: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. This pearl of insight extends to the singular and instantly recognisable music of Disturbed. These seasoned masters of the heavy metal dominion may not be reinventing the wheel on their latest release Divisive , but at this stage of their career, do they even need to be? Blistering fist-in-the-air anthems are the name of the game when it comes to the Chicagoans' songwriting; on track after track of Divisive , the group deliver a barrage of aural carnage that shreds like a beast possessed. The lyrical themes are also poignant and hard-hitting, matching the intensity of their instrumental blitzkrieg. Hey You is a condemnatory call to action that pulls no punches, while the frenetically charged Unstoppable comes close to breaking the sound barrier. Divisive shows Disturbed are still in the business of penning heavy metal bangers; and business my friends, is good. (Reprise) Alexander Burgess

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Sprawling, devastating, and ethereal in a way that has come to define Joji, Smithereens is a gut-wrenching release that takes a broken heart and throws the pieces into moody, subdued ballads.While Smithereens is a clear lyrical development from the Japanese singer-songwriter's 2020 ARIA number one record Nectar , the production here feels more like an expansion from the artist's 2018 debut Ballads 1 and its predecessor, the 2017 EP In Tongues . All the moody ambience which slides between contemplative lyrics is decidedly purposeful, and highlights Joji's restrained vocal work rather than overpowering it. Subtle, smooth, and seemingly effortless, Smithereens is the polished 2am record we’ve all been waiting for from Joji. (88 Rising Music/Warner) Jacqui Picone

The Seekers Carry Me There have been several Seekers compilations over the years, but this is the one you need. Of course it contains all the classics, including Georgy Girl, I’ll Never Find Another You, AWorld of Our Own , and Morningtown Ride . But it’s the latter-day recordings that show that the band lost none of its magic – songs such as the 1997 cover of Rick Springfield’s

Speak to the Sky , and their 2003 version of the Bee Gees’ Massachusetts . (Fun fact: Barry Gibb told Judith Durham he hoped The Seekers would record the song in the ’60s, but their manager rejected it and it became the Bee Gees’ first international chart-topper instead.) Then there’s the 2012 recording of Silver Threads and Golden Needles , which ironically had been the biggest hit for US band The Springfields, featuring Tom Springfield, who went on to write and produce most of The Seekers’ hits – and also died this year, a week before Durham. This 60th anniversary collection is testament to the act's genius: the simplicity of the arrangements and the purity of Durham’s voice. The title track is the one new recording. Initially demoed by Durham in 1995, the song was finished this year by Bruce Woodley, Athol Guy and Keith Potger. It’s powerful and moving. Appropriately, the final track is The Carnival Is Over . And it’s true. The Seekers won’t be the same without Judith Durham. But their music will carry on forever. (Decca) Jeff Jenkins

78 DECEMBER 2022

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