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Lady Gaga
Joanne
Mother Monster has evolved into
a grand goddess, and she has
us all on our knees worshipping
Joanne
. The theatrics are stripped
back; Gaga's rough but silvery
voice gives us a surprising folky/
country vibe with a kick of
Fame
.
If her previous albums were
tasked with getting our attention,
then
Joanne
’s purpose is to give
Gaga’s crazy soul a voice. Working
with accomplished producer
Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse),
Gaga proves she’s incapable of
being pigeonholed – and for those
hoping for wild antics, have no
fear. Give
Dancin’ In Circles
and
Just Another Day
a few listens and
you’ll be fawning.
Savannah Douglas
Leonard Cohen
You Want It Darker
It's not surprising that Leonard
Cohen, in his 83rd year, continues
to ruminate on mortality and life
after death on his latest album,
a companion to his 2014 release
Popular Problems
. Beautifully
under-produced, Cohen's wizened
voice sings, whispers, speaks,
sometimes in the company of
female gospel and soul singers,
and a synagogue choir on at least
two straight-ahead love songs; he
also offers darker material with
lines such as, "You want it darker,
we kill the flame... I didn't know
I had permission to murder and
to maim," from the title track.
Musically haunting, with subtle
use of piano, violin, bass and
guitar. Recommended.
Billy Pinnell
Agnes Obel
Citizen of Glass
Agnes Obel is an artist who
paints whole worlds with sound.
Layers and layers of instruments
and manipulated, tones are
sung, performed, recorded and
arranged. The vistas that Obel
builds are immense, full of ideas
and imagination; for the string
parts, 250 tracks were combined,
and Agnes' own vocals are altered
and harmonised into multi-part
choruses. To press play on this
record is to be immersed in Agnes'
vision, a place inspired by glass,
literal and metaphorical. A resilient
sadness shines beneath the
surface, reflected in the themes
of loss and passage of time. The
resulting record is a playground for
the listener: crystalline ballads and
sharp orchestral pop suites tower
as if landmarks to explore.
SimonWinkler
Soft Hair
Soft Hair
Soft Hair is a beautiful meeting
of the minds. Kiwi Connan
Mockasin and Sam Dust have
spent years deconstructing and
reconfiguring the art and science
of song. In various guises,
solo and collaborative, the pair
have produced a vast wealth of
psychedelic pop gems spanning
warped folk, modern funk, synth
wave and digi dub among other
less classifiable sounds. They
both trade in the unexpected,
so perhaps it should come as no
surprise that the two artists have
combined forces for this latest
record. It’s everything you’d hope
for and nothing you could have
imagined. In other words, one of
the more enjoyable experimental
pop records of the year.
SimonWinkler
Empire of the Sun
Two Vines
Two Vines
is the anomaly of a Dali
exhibition come to life in the form
of two heavenly music angels.
As expected, Luke Steele and
Nick Littlemore’s third album is
nothing short of magical. What
their previous albums were to
futurisim and icy wonderlands is
what
Two Vines
is to a gorgeous
Tarzanian forest overtaking the
modern world. While their spacey
and synthy sound may seem like
a step backwards from earthiness,
it’s easy to feel well connected to
the planet while breathing in the
life essence of every song. May
the breezy wind from
Before
, the
soothing crash of cold waves in
To
Her Door,
and the fiery single
High
and Low
bring you much needed
peace.
Savannah Douglas
Sleigh Bells
Jessica Rabbit
Since reviving the spectacle and
glamour of arena rock in 2010 with
their blaring debut
Treats
, Sleigh
Bells have been trying to find the
softer edges in their sound. Now
on their fourth album, they’re
almost unrecognizable from the
duo that strutted to a track like
Infinity Guitars
. The blare still rears
its head, but they make more use
of drum machines and synths, and
Alexis Krauss’s expanded vocal
range. With verses that sound
more Coldplay than KISS and
pummelling riffs swapped out for
piano ballads, Sleigh Bells prove
they’ve ground left to cover yet.
Jake Cleland
Hopetoun Brown
Look So Good
Although the joyous busking vibe
they bring to their live shows has
not been diluted, the two-man
brass attack that is Hopetoun
Brown have subtly fleshed out their
sound for their second LP, with
drums, percussion and keyboards
added to the mix. They have also
roped in a few old pals to help out
as well, most notably Tami Neilson,
who duets with Tim Stewart on the
deliciously soulful slow-burner
Hate
I Don’t Love You
and on a rousing
version of the blues standard
St
James Infirmary
. Other stand-outs
include the bouncy old school ska of
Nick Atkinson’s
Long Time Ago
and
the closing-time jazz of
Let It Show
,
both of which feature backing
vocals from Marlon Williams. The
Afrobeat-flavoured opening track
says it all, really:
Own It
.
John Ferguson
Helmet
Dead To The World
One of the pioneers (alongside
Jesus Lizard) crossing between
indie, full-force riffs and carnage
bordering on metal since 1989 –
these guys should sound a little
tired. They don’t. This is as fresh
and dangerous as one would hope
with these guys, who’ve had a
relatively agile line-up alongside
founder Page Hamilton since
2004. Since Hamilton dabbles
in everything from teaching to
film and TV scores these days,
the album offers much to the
ear;
Expect The World
has an
uncanny Mike Patton-meets-
Tool flavour while
Die Alone
has
so much groove, swagger, and
black aggression you can feel
sweat dripping off your own
walls. A triumph – you won’t be
disappointed.
Chris Murray
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REVIEWS
44
jbhifi.co.nzNOVEMBER
2016
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