STACK #161 Mar 2018

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Augie March Bootikins “Have you read the poets lately?” singer Glenn Richards asks in Fake Jive , the opening cut on Augie March’s sixth studio album. Augie March are an Australian band like no other, delivering their own quixotic brand of literate rock, talking pop and poetry. I mean, which other local act would serve up song titles such as Mephistopheles Perverted and I Woke Up In Borgolombardo ? Producer Tony Cohen – the godfather of Australian alternative rock – came out of retirement to produce this album, recording in Hobart and Melbourne. Sadly, he died before it could be finished – but the strength of these

Andrew W.K. You're Not Alone The contrivances bolted to AndrewW.K.’s music have always been a d-ckhead deterrent, shooing away anyone too self- conscious to believe “party” could summarise a real model for society. You’re Not Alone is W.K. reaching out to those people, trying to welcome them, finally, into the fold. The therapy-via- Courage-Wolf motivationals are especially explicit, echoing over the gladiator battle of ripping guitars and piano stabs, except when there’s no music at all – The Feeling Of Being Alive is straight up spoken-word about life being tough but worthwhile. If early Steve Roggenbuck videos were a hard rock record, this would be it; hearing this kind of simplistic but single-minded belief in hope is refreshing. (Sony) Jake Cleland

Camp Cope How To Socialise & Make Friends When Georgia Maq describes riding down the street on her bike in the titular track of Camp Cope’s second album, she sticks pretty close, repeatedly, to this one note within the melody. It’s a sort of relentless and brave thing to do, but that’s when you remember the reason this band have thrust their fists into the posts and made such a mark on contemporary Australian music is not

just their lyrics – although they are 24-carat raw and relatable – but their melodic and rhythmic choices too. With basslines that shift between spirited-stoic ( The Opener ) and pattering hustle ( UFO Lighter ) from Kelly-Dawn Helmrich, a satisfying looseness in tempo from drummer Sarah Thompson, and achingly judicious guitar from Maq, these tracks don’t brandish a million chords and they rarely (ever?) have the dourly predictable middle eight – but you’ll remain totally engrossed. Of course it’s Maq’s vocal performance that lances like a spire through a priest. The most gut-wrenching and meditative lyrics are found in The Face Of God , the story of a sexual assault: “What would have happened if I’d done one thing different?” she asks, and follows with the struggle of separating art from action: “Is it true, could you do that to someone? Not you – your music is too good.” Truly, an indispensable record for 2018. (Poison City Records) Zoë Radas

songs is a fitting tribute. (Caroline) Jeff Jenkins

Mia Dyson If I Said Only So Far I Take It Back “I wanted admiration from the entire world,” Mia Dyson confides in Beloved , a haunting track on her sixth album. She deserves it, too. Originally from Torquay in Victoria and now based in LA, Dyson is like Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams and Tom Petty all rolled into one - and one could even imagine P!nk recording the defiant Diamonds . “I tell myself to grow up, get serious,” Dyson declares in Fool , but long may she continue to deliver her compelling, rootsy rock. Alas, the awkwardly titled album probably lacks that one song that will deliver Dyson the adulation she craves, but it’s all quality. (Single Lock/CookingVinyl) Jeff Jenkins

Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird Electric Brown Their name is a mouthful, and Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird’s album also defies description. For the most part, it’s brooding indie rock (check out single and stand-out track Transient ), but it’s punctuated by some soaring, soulful vocals and impressive female backing vocals, courtesy of keyboard player Francesca Gonzales. “Nothing good can come from the fear,” sings Lachlan Rose, and his band has delivered a bold debut, an album that creates a mood and demands to be listened to from start to finish. Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird might not motor to the top of the charts but their record is quite a trip. (Sony) Jeff Jenkins

Ball Park Music Good Mood Ball Park Music are raising the BPM with their fifth studio album Good Mood . The Brissie-based five- piece have improved upon Every Night The Same Dream (2016) in almost every way, with the wavy opening synth on The End Times a fair indication of the craziness you’re in for over the next nine tracks. Featuring earworm Exactly HowYou Are , the group can be forgiven for not including their legendary cover of My Happiness , and instead you should be paying attention to the likes of the jumpy Hands Off My Body and the slow- burning So Nice . Embark upon a pop-rock adventure through one of Ball Park Music's best efforts to date. (Stop Start/Inertia) Alesha Kolbe

Oh Mercy Café Oblivion

Alex Gow’s been everywhere, man, and while his third album Deep Heat awaits its much- deserved critical evaluation, his others have been somewhat more consensusifying. Now with an ARIA under his belt and insistent he has nothing left to prove, Café Oblivion sounds like anything but settling down. It still rings loud with classic Australian guitar balladry, but between these sombre and sultry moments (and sometimes alongside them) are songs wriggling with funk rhythms and sly come-ons, Gow ratcheting up the repressed libido of so many singer-songwriter types. Gow’s brilliance has always been the fairly inconspicuous kind, but on Café Oblivion , it’s undeniable. (EMI) Jake Cleland

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MARCH 2018

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