94 / 109
De La Soul
And The
Anonymous Nobody
This isn’t hip hop legends De La Soul’s
first rodeo. The NewYorkers' genius
debut, 1989’s
3 Feet High And Rising
,
remains one of the most influential
and ground-breaking hip hop albums
ever. The group's sound has evolved
over the last 27 years but remains
true to its expressionist sample-based
core; like any album 18 tracks long,
And The Anonymous Nobody
has
some weaker moments, but they are
quickly eclipsed by classic cuts. Lead
single
Pain
is the catchiest of the
record, the groove matched by Snoop
Dogg’s cruisy flow. The jazz-inspired
Royal Capes
showcases classic De
La with fresh inspiration, with silky
horns over a deep, banging beat. This
is an innovative re-imagination of the
group
–
broad in scope, full of life and
fresh to death.
(AOI/Kobalt)Tim Lambert
Roy & HG
This Sporting Life
The only problem with this 30th anniversary
collection of some of the ‘gold’ from the dynamic
duo’s unsurpassed satire and dissection of Australian
sport and pop culture, is that you simply don’t want
the snippets to end. Unaware of them? Two highly
intelligent raconteurs wax lyrical with endless ease on
complete bullsh-t, based on loose facts around current
events that will have you in stitches, while also remembering that very uncanny
and uniquely Australian sense of humour which is lacking in today’s mass
media. From why Rampaging Roy Slaven’s favourite horse never played rugby
league, to the solution to finding new heavyweight (fat) boxers via travelling the
country simply armed with binoculars, or indeed how Cher was once explicitly
examined by Roy (at her request) to kill media speculation on cosmetic surgery
– you are hooked. Of course, if you
are
aware of them, you probably spent a
good few hours sitting back with a cold one each Sunday, as the week’s events
unfolded through their lens and into your ears via triple j (as this reviewer did).
Nothing will ever come close to their winning formula of smarts and silliness
–
and for God’s sake, ‘our’ ABC, can we please have
all
their shows archived and
available to podcast… Please!!!
(ABC/Universal) Chris Murray
visit
stack.net.au17
jbhifi.com.auSEPTEMBER
2016
MUSIC
REVIEWS
Angel Olsen
My Woman
A new Angel Olsen album, a
new masterclass in songwriting.
My Woman
is the Missouri-born
artist’s third record: another
compelling collection of tracks that
move from atmospheric ballads
through to electric folk and rock. A
cinematic tone is introduced from
the very start;
Intern
begins with
an arresting synth and mellotron
melody that floats alongside Olsen’s
narrative lyrics. Identity, memory
and the chaos of life and love are
crafted into perfect pop songs for
the first half of the record, and
later on the album these universal
themes are formed into plaintive,
extended arrangements. Anthemic
roller disco jukebox jams like
Shut
Up Kiss Me
feature alongside more
meditative, downtempo rock ballads
like
Woman
.
(Inertia) SimonWinkler
OUT NOW
and the
ANONYMOUS NOBODY