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REVIEWS MUSIC

Flyying Colours You Never Know

The Kinks The Journey - Part 1

FEATURE ARTIST

The Kinks, one of the greatest ever British rock bands, will celebrate their 60th anniversary by releasing Part 1 of The Journey , a two-part anthology ( Part 2 follows later this year). In the first wave of the British Invasion, The Kinks, like countless other mid-'60s bands, were inspired by American R&B and rock music. Their first two releases You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night (written by singer Ray Davies) paved the way for the next decades of British hard rock. Rumours were rife at the time that the scattergun guitar solo on their first release was played by Jimmy Page. No, it was Dave Davies, borrowing the chord changes from The Kingsmen's recording of Louie Louie . Later recordings found Ray Davies mining British Music Hall, country and folk, resulting in his witty, observational compositions that gave birth to hits such as Waterloo Sunset, Death of a Clown, and Dandy . (BMG) Billy Pinnell

Ten years after their debut single, Melbourne’s kings and queens of shoegaze have released their best record yet with their third album, You Never Know. And though it's easy to put Flyying Colours into the shoegaze pigeonhole, they’ve actually got a lot going on. Like Something for Kate, they’re making intelligent alternative rock. If it were the ’80s, John Hughes would be putting these songs on soundtracks. Amidst the powerful fuzzy guitars are undeniable hooks. Their dense sound is punctuated by shining pop moments like Bright Lights, Hit the Road and Goodbye to Music . Another highlight is the hypnotic Oh , wherein the title is repeated, drone-like, as the ’80s keys set the scene. Produced by Woody Annison, this is a band that sounds strikingly confident and self-assured – and they’ve delivered. (Poison City) Jeff Jenkins

Frenzal Rhomb The Cup of Pestilence

The ’90s served up three superb Australian satirical bands: The Fauves, Custard and Frenzal Rhomb. For Frenzal Rhomb, it’s been three decades of “d-ck jokes and songs”. And on their tenth album – their first in six years – they're growing old disgracefully. This record rages with the energy of a band just starting

out, though the punk pranksters note that things were different in the old days. “I paid 36 bucks for a jug of beer,” Jason Whalley laments. “This place has gone to the dogs.” The glory days of punk-pop might be long gone, but Frenzal Rhomb are still flying the flag. The standout here is the tale of urban paranoia, I Think My Neighbour Is Planning to Kill Me . “And I wonder what’s taking so long,” notes Whalley, “and I shouldn’t have written this song.” There are many wry observations on modern life, including: “It’s always the guys with the neck tattoos that hold you close, and say, 'I love you'.” Then there’s How to Make Gravox , a ripping response to Paul Kelly’s Christmas classic. It’s a new anthem for the time-poor Christmas cook, with Whalley asking, “Who’s gonna buy the Gravox?” The Cup of Pestilence is packed with 19 songs and none outlasts its welcome, with the longest cut clocking in at 2:33. No flab, all fab; We’d almost forgotten how much fun Frenzal Rhomb are... though the album is probably not suitable for in-store airplay. (Virgin) Jeff Jenkins

FEATURE ARTIST

Cub Sport Jesus at the Gay Bar

Tiny Ruins Ceremony “Don’t tell me what I already

“Look at me now, I’m all the things that you could never see in me,” Tim Nelson declares on Cub Sport’s fifth album. Some self-doubt remains – “I’m tired, such a pretender,” he admits later in the record – but this album confirms that Cub Sport are the real deal. It’s like the soundtrack to your best night ever: a night filled with magic, discovery and elation, with dancefloor bangers and dreamy ballads. Jesus at the Gay Bar is the perfect companion to Homosexual , the recent album by Brisbane’s other great pop act, Darren Hayes. Like Hayes, Nelson struggled with his sexuality (“Went and got a girlfriend just to throw them off track,” he reveals in Keep Me Safe ). But in the end, both acts have crafted pulsating pop records that are all about love, acceptance and celebration. (Cub Sport) Jeff Jenkins

know,” Hollie Fullbrook sings at the start of Tiny Ruins’ fourth album, emphasising and elongating the word “already”. Originally from the UK, Fullbrook moved to New Zealand when she was ten. She started Tiny Ruins in 2009; initially a solo project, it grew into a band. This album shows why Fullbrook has a fervent fan base. “I’m not a healer, not a saint,” she admits, though she is a fine folk singer, in touch with her environment – the album is peppered with references to seabirds, crabs and cicadas – as well as a thrilling turn of phrase. “And like honey deep in the hive,” she sings, “it stings to be there, but I go there all the time.” At the end of the record, she declares: “I need a ceremony, I need a ritual.” Indeed. Ceremony is a work of rare beauty. (Milk! Records) Jeff Jenkins

The National First Two Pages of Frankenstein It’s been almost four years since The National released their last long player, I Am Easy to Find . On its follow-up (and the band's ninth album), the Dessner brothers, the Devendorf brothers and a Berninger display a complex understanding of how the bold addition of something outside the recipe can bring out the flavours in the most splendid of ways. Think balsamic vinegar on perfectly ripe strawberries. It’s a lack of arrogance, and a musical intelligence that sets this beautiful band aside from its peers – a subtle elegance, draped in powerful emotion. Your Mind Is Not Your Friend (the second of the two songs featuring the majestic Phoebe Bridgers) slides into poetry that would leave Dylan envious; in New Order T Shirt , we hear Matt’s archetypal gravelly, talk-sing voice, and it’s so provocative you’re immediately invested – you feel seen. Featuring some Knopfler-like guitar trickery and a touch of '80s new wave (it’s subtle, we're not talking Artic Monkeys), and you may just find yourself swaying your hips. First Two Pages of Frankenstein offers the warm hand-holding of I Am Easy to Find , with the climactic trail you get from High Violet. It takes the lessons unveiled in Trouble Will Find Me and proves that you can indeed improve on brilliance. And for those who’ve walked with the Ohio darlings from the beginning, you’ll also find the brave, raw honesty of both Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers , and Alligator. Will you enjoy this album? Only if you like music. (Universal) Trista McConville

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