STACK September 2017 Issue 155

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046 SEPTEMBER 2017
visit MUSIC REVIEWS
Tired Lion Dumb Days
On Dumb Days,Tired Lion have created
a piece of work that will sit comfortably
as one of the most rounded, complete
debut records to be released in
Australia. Whether frontwoman
Sophie Hopes is screaming about the
dissatisfaction of monotony in opener
Japan, wondering wild-eyed on Cilantro
(don’t even start me on the devil's herb
coriander), or fighting frustrations on I’ve
BeenTrying, her relatable lyrics form the
backbone of the album – the grunge-
laden riffs, high-powered drums and
thumping basslines just take the record
to another level. Enlisting Violent Soho's
Luke Boerdam to carry production duties
withWA music legend Dave Parkin
has given the record the familiarity of
VS’ Hungry Ghost and the huge highs
of WACO – and just like Mansfield's
favourite sons it won't be long untilTired
Lion are headlining festivals and ruling
the Australian music scene.
(Dew Process)Tim Lambert
Rex Brown
Smoke On This...
Former Pantera bassist Rex
Brown has certainly made
a go of it since the band
ground to a halt in 2003.
Since then he's worked
with Down, Crowbar and
released two albums with Kill
Devil Hill, proving that there
is still a lot left in the tank
where music is concerned.
Brown finally branches out
as a solo artist on his latest
venture Smoke On This….
The material here rocks with
a swagger that resembles
Aerosmith, Alice Cooper
or the Rolling Stones – not
Pantera, and it’s all the better
for it. Smoke On This… is a
rock album with lots of roll.
(eOne Music) Simon Lukic
The Killers
Wonderful Wonderful
As soon as The Killers announced
they’d be tackling this year’s AFL
Grand Final, we knew there’d have to
be some new music on the way as
an accompaniment – despite the fact
that they could quite easily pull off 45
minutes of Mr Brightside and literally
nobody would complain. Behold
Wonderful Wonderful – you’ll have
already heard the tongue-in-cheek
smugness of the swaggeringly-
paced, gritty disco luxe single The
Man, and the rest of the album
mostly follows suit; it’s a short,
slower, rocky ascent into already-
established Killers synth-rockerdom,
that will do nought but enhance
that One Day in September. Be sure
to check it out – it’s a wonderful
wonderful time.
(Universal) Alesha Kolbe
The War On Drugs
A Deeper Understanding
Three years ago, The War On
Drugs released the critically
acclaimed Lost In The Dream, a
classic American rock album that
tapped into the veins of Petty,
Young and Springsteen. But the
weight of expectation clearly sits
lightly on singer-songwriter Adam
Granduciel, who returns here with
10 magnificently crafted songs. A
Deeper Understanding is a more
cleanly-produced record, more
optimistic, and proficiently arranged
with a heavy emphasis on keys.
Granduciel has an excellent ear
for melody and manages to lean
into the world of popularist rock,
infusing its formula while retaining
the respect and appreciation
of a musical pioneer. A Deeper
Understanding is an exemplary
riposte to Lost In The Dream .
(Warner) Paul Jones
Concrete And Gold
On ninth album Concrete And Gold , the
Foos aren’t denying their steamrolling
force as veteran bigwigs of rock – but
they absolutely have ideas and are
taking risks. Run is metal-vicious, The
Sky Is A Neighbourhood’s lo-fi vocals
sound like they were recorded on a
phone in a granny flat while angular
cries of electric guitar bang on the
windows, Make It Right has a stellar
tripping drum beat, Happy Ever After
(Zero Hour) is a cute as hell acoustic
ditty, and the tip-toe dirge of the title
track and album closer opens into a
slow, majestic, ragged supernova. The
lyrics – often the first victim when a
band have lost inventiveness – haven’t
devolved into platitudes but could
stand alone as fascinating slivers of
poetry. Grohl and company remain
enormously imaginative, and this one is
absolutely worth your time.
(Sony) Zoë Radas
King Parrot
Ugly Produce
From the moment Entrapment
slams into gear, you know that
you’re in for quite a ride. As
always, King Parrot take no
prisoners. More importantly,
they have a sound of their
own and in today’s saturated
music scene that’s quite a
achievement. Ugly Produce
has the familiarity of their past
albums, but the hooks are
more pronounced and geared
for the live environment,
making for a more immediate
experience. If you’re a fan of
the band, laying down your
heard earned for Ugly Produce
is a no brainer. For others, this
is a great place to start. Great
work fellas!
(EVP Recordings)
Simon Lukic
Queens of the Stone Age
Villains
On Queens of the Stone Age's brand new
record Villains, frontman Josh Homme's
revitalised outlook on life has resulted
in the Palm Desert group’s most upbeat
record to date. Bringing in Mark Ronson to
helm production duties certainly adds the
danceability that the band were after – but don’t doubt for a second
that you’ll be dancing anywhere other than a dark, smoke-filled,
sticky-floored bar. There is still something familiarly sinister about
Villains; the record swaggers through nine tracks without a single
good intention (not that you ever expected one), from the sauntering
slink of opener Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, to the voodoo groove of
Domesticated Animals, or the salaciousness of Head Like A Haunted
House (the Iggy Pop-inspired, NewWave, punk bouncer). It quickly
becomes clear that not only has Josh Homme been dancing with the
devil for over 20 years, he quite likes it too.
(Remote Control)Tim Lambert