STACK Template

94 / 110

STREAMYOUR FAVOURITE ALBUMS AT JBHI-FI NOW... NOW!
094 AUGUST 2015 JB Hi-Fi
New Gum Sarn
New Gold Mountain
Well, here it is – the best release of 2015, easy. After
listening to this album debut from a bunch of kids
punching eons above their age weight division, you’ll
agree. Imagine Radiohead withTim Rogers’ crown-of-
thorns reflection (Bad Soy), slice that between Girl’s
most heartbreaking anthems, and add an odd, off-kilter
twang and groovy unease great New Zealand bands exude seemingly without
effort (The Clean,The Bats, et al). MoneyTalks initially packs mature tear-stained
venom and then right-angles into frenetic hope and joy. Blue Flag could easily
have been recorded on a sunny Mancunian afternoon, coming down; while
Small Boys offers relaxed pop and bubble with a sleepy drawl. But the apex here
is the title offering from these mere eight tracks – New Gold Mountain . Find the
video clip and heed my words that around the three minute mark, the dribble
leaving your jaw is testament to the ethereal trance these guys envelop you in.
Frighteningly amazing. Record company – just tour these guys over here right
now please and put me down for every single show, thanks.You’re welcome.
(Northside/Remote Control/Inertia) Jeff Jenkins
Shane Nicholson
Hell Breaks Loose
Shane Nicholson’s impressive solo
albums and two award-winning duet
releases with Kasey Chambers have
already highlighted his outstanding
talent as a singer-songwriter. Since
the breakdown of his marriage
to Chambers, the songs haven’t
come so easily. For this, his sixth
solo release, he took time out
to visit good friend indigenous
songwriterWarren H. Williams near
Alice Springs, where he found a
place to access and reflect on his
life changes and find the songs
that make this album so special.
Heartbreaking and personally
honest, this is a beautiful collection
of tracks about self-discovery and
new hope.
(Lost Highway/Universal)
Denise Hylands
Northlane
Node
No one saw it coming. Not
only did Australian band
Northlane manage to part
ways with their singer with
grace and composure, they
opened the auditioning
process for his replacement
to the public, identified a
fitting new frontman and
confidently marched on –
utterly unperturbed – to record
one of the best albums of their
career. Node is heavy, make
no mistake, but it’s the sparser
moments that are its best and
most bold. Here the band that
endured the aforementioned
turbulence get to prove
that their mantle as one of
Australia’s finest rested with
their adventurous spirit. Bravo.
(UNFD/Warner)
Emily Kelly
The Phoenix Foundation
Give Up Your Dreams
The Phoenix Foundation have
always been sorely underrated,
partly because they’re so tough to
nail down.The Kiwi ensemble’s
sixth LP proves as slippery as ever,
spiking cosmic indie rock with
playful R’n’B (Celestial Bodies),
synth-logged balladry (Myth) and
oddball spoken-word (Give Up
Your Dreams). Even the straightest
song is called Bob Lennon John
Dylan. But all those surface quirks
are anchored in robust, ambitious
songwriting that rewards patient
revisiting. Fans of Super Furry
Animals andThe Flaming Lips
should warm to it most quickly.
(Caroline/Universal)
DougWallen
LA Priest
Inji
Inji is full of surprises. The world
weary may be tempted to think
they've heard it all before, but
LA Priest (aka Sam Dust) wishes
to politely disagree, and he has
ten tracks of new music as
supporting evidence. Sam was
once the head of UK electronic
pop outfit Late of the Pier – who
released an outstanding debut of
original work back in 2008, then
promptly disappeared – but he's
been highly productive in the
meantime. The results include the
digi-dub masterpiece of Oino, the
extended prog-dance excursion
of Learning to Love, and the
interstellar funk of Occasion.
Expect the unexpected.
(Domino/EMI) SimonWinkler
I'lls
Can I Go with You to Go Back
to My Country
I'lls is the project of local musicians,
producers, sound technicians
and audio visual masters Simon
Lam, Hamish Mitchell and Dan
Rutman. The three famously met
while studying, and discovered a
shared love of innovative music
of all forms. Several singles later,
this EP announces a new phase in
their craft; the refined, melancholic
and rhythmic songs have inspired
references to contemporaries such
as Caribou, Radiohead and the
garage-leaning beatmakers of the
UK underground, but I'lls occupy
their own unique space in the
modern music landscape. One listen
and you'll want to go with them to
go back to their country too.
(Solitaire Recordings) SimonWinkler
visit REVIEWS MUSIC
DOWNLOAD THE
FREE
STACK
APP FOR EXTRA CONTENT
stack.net.au/stack-app
Josh Pyke
But For All These Shrinking
Hearts
“Don’t you let me down,”
Josh Pyke sings at the start
of his fifth solo album – and
the Sydney singer-songwriter
continues to deliver. Pyke is a
little like a local version of Brian
Wilson. For the most part, his
songs are sunny, but there’s
a lot going on beneath the
surface. Check out first single
Hollering Hearts. It’s this year’s
ukulele hit, with Pyke cheerfully
rebuking Pete Townshend’s
infamous statement, declaring,
“I hope I don’t die before I get
old.” Overall, there aren’t many
surprises. There’s no double
twist with Pyke. But when
it comes to melodies, he’s a
master craftsman. (Wonderlick/
Sony) Jeff Jenkins