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MUSIC REVIEWS

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Mirusia Classique Mirusia Louwerse has had quite the career, from singing with André Rieu – who dubbed her ”the Angel of Australia” – to recording a Seekers tribute album. She has now released the record she was always destined to make. On Classique , the classically trained soprano performs work by Puccini, Schubert, Mozart, Handel, Verdi and more. With the help of Michael Cristiano’s sympathetic production – allowing Mirusia’s voice to shine, with minimal studio tricks – the Brisbane singer makes these arias her own. Her version of La Bohème ’s Quando me’n vo’ in particular is a show-stopper. Australia has a fine tradition of operatic sopranos, from Dame Nellie Melba to Dame Joan Sutherland (who Mirusia thanks for inspiring her to make this record). On Classique, Mirusia has done them proud. (Ambition) Jeff Jenkins

Rod Stewart with Jools Holland Swing Fever In 2002 Rod Stewart tapped into a vast new audience when he recorded the first of a number of albums that included songs from the Great American Songbook. His newest release is a collaboration with musician, TV host, and band leader Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra on which they revisit more of the timeless songs from the pre-rock era. Highlights include arrangements of the Broadway evergreen Ain’t Misbehavin’ , popularised by Fats Waller (1929), Love Is the Sweetest Thing , originally recorded by English band leader Ray Noble with vocal by Al Bowlly (1932), Pennies from Heaven , introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1936 movie of the same name and recorded soon after by Billie Holliday, and Almost Like Being in Love , sung by Gene Kelly in the 1954 movie Brigadoon. Stewart, who turned 79 in January, tours throughout 2024. (Warner) Billy Pinnell

Caligula’s Horse Charcoal Grace

Pry open your mind’s eye and transcend into higher consciousness with Brisbane’s

Caligula’s Horse, on their sixth studio album, Charcoal Grace . Born from the fragile state of its creators, the album serves as a manifestation of the band’s journey while navigating a post-pandemic world, all the

while expressing their profound sense of detachment from it. The outcome is a deeply moving artistic feat that fearlessly immerses itself in the most confronting aspects of the human experience, yet remains anchored in the conviction that, for those who still yearn for it, hope prevails. The World Breathes with Me encapsulates the intensity of all that this group have endeavoured to suppress over the last few years, now materialising in a spectacular, cathartic release. Lead single Golem shows less restraint, opting for a cacophony of bass, percussion, and vibrant guitars to deliver a potent feeling of struggling to reconcile with a reality that’s no longer recognisable: ”When you fell out of the world, you saw that it still turned… Where do I put the violence? He’s gone, and I still carry it.” The four-part odyssey comprising the album’s titular track is uniquely compelling, bringing us full circle with an astonishing musical tetralogy. An undertaking as ambitious as Charcoal Grace is always at risk of sounding overwrought, but that’s not the outcome here. The creative gumption of Caligula’s Horse has ensured that Charcoal Grace is not only a success, but one for the record books. A blistering start to 2024. (Sony) Alex Burgess

Mick Mars The Other Side of Mars

Jessica Mauboy Yours Forever

Retired Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars lets his freak flag fly on The Other Side of Mars , his debut solo album. Don’t worry, Mars doesn’t sing here, instead recruiting Jacob Bunton (who contributes vocals to all but two songs) and Brion Gamboa (who lends his more angsty timbre to Undone and Killing Breed ).

Jessica Mauboy performed Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing when she

auditioned for Australian Idol i n 2006. Her new album features a song called Whitney , which is like a peek at a young girl’s diary, documenting her ambitions and dreams. This is Mauboy’s fifth album and her first

Mars has said of Killing Breed : ”It’s about narcissists that keep you pinned down and make you feel crazy.” On this standout track, ominous intro chimes signal impending doom before spasmodic, stalking riffs, dramatic piano, and cymbal-heavy drumming invade the sinister scene: ”Take me, ’cause what remains is barely breathing…” Percussive clanking – like a hammer striking chain – punctuates Broken on the Inside ’s strutting, taunting riffs before the whole thing implodes like gremlins in the machinery. Better brace yourself for Bunton’s tormented primal scream during this one as well! Stylistically diverse, The Other Side of Mars sounds like freedom. Listeners get to experience the legendary guitarist unfiltered, like we’ve never heard him before. Expect slide guitar, violins, violas, and keys, but never fear: Mars still plays loud, immense, and aggressive guitar – that’s his DNA. (1313) Bryget Chrisfield

in five years – it’s also the first for her new record label. A new beginning perhaps, but it also shows the scars she’s accumulated along the way. ”Nobody knows how much a dream costs, the blood and the sweat and the tears that you’ve lost,” she sings in first single Give You Love , featuring Jason Derulo. ”The struggle is real.” This is a fine pop record, where none of the tracks outstays its welcome; eight of the 14 cuts clock in under three minutes. Lyrically, Mauboy digs deep on Never Giving Up , co-written by Pnau’s Nick Littlemore. It’s a cry for reconciliation set to a dance beat. ”Native tongue, native land,” Mauboy sings. ”Native blood, it’s on their hands.” Mauboy is clearly an artist with something to say, but sometimes it gets lost amongst the generic pop. The country-tinged Goodbye showcases her voice, exhibiting genuine ache. The simplicity of this song, as well as the piano ballad Quite Like You , hints at where her career could go. Still only 34, there’s a lot more to be written in the Jessica Mauboy story. (Warner) Jeff Jenkins

34 FEBRUARY 2024

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