STACK Magazine April 2015 Issue 126

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094 APRIL 2015 JB Hi-Fi
he Mountain Goats Beat the Champ
Leave it to the bard of underdogs who
nce immortalised “the best ever death metal band
Denton” to devote an entire album to amateur
restlers. Yes, hot off the acclaimed release of his
ebut novel, Wolf in White Van, John Darnielle takes
is decades-old band into the ring for one of the best
entries in his lengthy discography. It’s ambitious not just
lyrically but musically, swinging from woozy orchestral tinges in Southwestern
territory and something like acoustic metal on Werewolf Gimmick, to jazzy
piano and drums on Fire Editorial and noisy indie rock on Choked Out. Likewise,
Darnielle’s voice ranges from serenading sweetness to ranting bark, and he’s
at the top of his storytelling game as he evokes the sweat and absurdity of the
sport: "Full werewolf off the buckle like an angel straight from hell,” goes one of
the most memorable lines. In the hands of most songwriters, masked wrestlers
would be purely the stuff of comedy, but Darnielle finds a touching poetry in
hopeful contenders willing to “black out for local TV.” These songs still manage
to be funny, but with the utmost sympathy for their subjects. An instant classic.
DougWallen (Remote Control/Inertia)
The Living Eyes
Living Large
WTF; who are these guys and
why wasn’t I informed earlier?
Ferocious guitars and an ethos akin
to dirty garage at warp speed, kinda
like imagining Man or Astro-man
collaborating with an early Misfits
lineup. Don’t believe? Crank up
track six, Guilty Pleasures – yeah,
see what I mean? From the opener
High Standards, through the afore-
mentioned cracker and winding up
at the upbeat Lighten Up , you’ve
ploughed through 10 tracks of joy
in less than 30 furiously flawless
minutes. They’re just kids, they’ve
just started – catch ahold of ‘em
before they burn out and destroy
the joint. It’s as if The Arctic
Monkeys all actually grew a pair.
Chris Murray
(Remote Control/Inertia)
Dallas Frasca
Love Army
A potent live act, Dallas Frasca
have long threatened to make
a great record, and Love Army,
their third album, shows
frontwoman Frasca is heading in
the right direction, starting with
the thumping opener Success
is the Best Revenge. A bluesy
belter, Frasca is like a more
raucous version of Mia Dyson,
and at times she also reminds
of Oz rock heroines Chrissy
Amphlett and Suze DeMarchi.
Love Army welcomes all
comers; if anything, it’s a little
too diverse, swinging from
heavy riffing to the hypnotic
10-minute title track and even a
Spanish-influenced closing cut.
Jeff Jenkins
(Social Family/Universal Music)
Waxahatchee
Ivy Tripp
A ‘brighter’ sound as opposed to her
previous efforts, Katie Crutchfield
(yes, it’s pretty much just her under
a moniker dedicated to her favourite
lake in Alabama) is hard to sonically
pin down, but it's always a strong
and simplistic folk/slightly pop
journey through many thoughts,
dreams and sunrises that could turn
into the harshest of storms. It’s up
to your own frame of mind which
road you’ll subconsciously travel;
Blue stretches you over relationships
current and imaginary with that cool
breeze of reality, while Air arouses
a personal standing-to-attention,
forcing you to deal with the previous
thoughts. Yes, she’s that good at
orchestrating an entire ‘selfie-film’
in your mind. You ready for that
intensity? Well here’s your lady.
Chris Murray (Liberation/Universal)
Alabama Shakes
Sound and Colour
Tousled indie rock meets old-
school R’n’B and soul in Alabama
Shakes. The Alabama quartet
co-produced their second album
in Nashville with rising star
Blake Mills, capturing the full
range of their boisterous sound.
From honeyed falsetto to fiery
catharsis, singer/guitarist Brittany
Howard nails down a lot of
different moods. Don’t Wanna
Fight evokes early Black Keys,
Gemini is a sleepy epic, and the
title track sends shivers down the
spine. The album’s second half
abandons much of the first half’s
momentum, unfolding as more of
a slow burn.
DougWallen
(Remote Control/Inertia)
The Go! Team
The Scene Between
When The Go! Team announced
their arrival on debut album
Thunder, Lightning, Strike, you got
a strong sense of the energy of the
outfit before you even heard a note.
The dramatic title and exclamation
point in the band name were all
suitable markers for an act who
knew how to make an impression.
The Scene Between is their fourth
album, and perhaps the closest
in spirit to that debut. Vibrant
samples and brash percussion drive
the songs, and there’s an overall
exuberance to the whole album that
is energising. Producer Ian Parton
knows a good melodic hook when
he hears one, and there’s plenty on
offer here, complemented well by a
range of guest vocalists.
SimonWinkler (Shock)
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Ron Sexsmith
Carousel One
Despite having 15 albums under
his belt, Canada’s Ron Sexsmith
remains more cult hero than
household name. Carousel One
is another quietly rewarding
effort from him, named after
his regular luggage pickup
spot at Los Angeles airport.
Sexsmith moves smoothly
across pop, country, blues, and
rock, warmed by an all-star band
and that lullaby voice. It’s light
and easygoing yet deceptively
well-constructed. He may get
no closer to a commercial
breakthrough with this record,
but it should still win the heart of
anyone who does hear it.
DougWallen
(CookingVinyl/Universal)