STACK NZ September 2016 Issue 77

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Pitch Black
Filtered Senses
The sound is a tad mellower,
the shapes softer, but otherwise
it’s business as usual for Kiwi
electronica pioneers Paddy Free
and Mike Hodgson, returning
here with their first album of new
material in almost nine years. The
title track and the self-explanatory
Dub Smoke blend their trademark
bass-heavy riddims with
burbling electronics and spacey
soundscapes; elsewhere A Great
Silence Spreading showcases
their gift for quieter ambient
moments, while the chattering
grooves of Pixel Dust and Circuit
Bent – one of a number of tracks
featuring Londoner Alison Evelyn
– demonstrate they still know their
way around the dancefloor. Pitch
perfect.
John Ferguson
Big Scary
Animal
An ever-evolving sound is emitted
from this Melbourne duo, who –
from humble indie roots with garage
rock and an Australian Music Prize
nod – have now gathered a sizable
following on the other side of the
ditch. Dark, electro-clash undertones
across the art-experiment beats and
whistles make for an arse-shaking
experience if the mood takes you.
With its beyond-catchy hooks and
stop-start party vibe, The Endless
Story is crying for radio dominance (if
it ever makes the maddening playlist
‘cut’), so too Flutism and Up and Up
and Up with their break-beat/post-
punk crossover hypnotism. One of
the best Australian releases of 2016
thus far, as you’d have to pull many a
rabbit out of an enormous hat welded
shut to compete with this.
Chris Murray
Against Me!
Shape Shift With Me
Few stories in modern day punk
rock are more compelling than
that of Laura Jane Grace. The
transgender punk rock renegade
has been creating compelling
commentary on raging against the
norm for a long time now. Against
Me!’s first few albums still remain
unrivalled in their raucousness; the
singer seems to have settled in her
skin since previous LP Transgender
Dysphoria Blues. Shape Shift With
Me feels slightly less furious,
despite grappling with sex, drugs
and the heartbreak of a failed
marriage in the face of identity
crisis. The riveting and deeply
introspective lyrics are set against
a backdrop of more mid-paced rock
this time around, but with no less
soul and heart than any of their
previous seven albums.
Emily Kelly
Wilco
Schmilco
“I always hated normal American
kids…” sings Jeff Tweedy on the
opener; you get the idea immediately.
If I Ever Was A Child dances into
more pop/folk territory with such
infectiousness it’ll conjure a Tim
Rogers smiling vibe with ease (and
demand repeat listens), then Cry All
Day train-chugs through a depressive
ballad with juxtaposed positivity.
Wilco, as always, lure emotional
responses from unsuspecting brains
via putting you completely at ease in
seconds. The 12 tracks here, most
of which are under three minutes,
traverse many subgenres within
their own inimitable style. You’ll
hear so much of your own record
collection (Lennon, T-Rex, Zevon)
snapshotting throughout, but it’s
still, unmistakably, Wilco. A serious
grower. Chris Murray
Trentemøller
Fixion
If you’re an old skool indie fan
who still views dance music with
suspicion, then this Danish artist is
the chap for you. Although Anders
Trentemøller’s is no stranger to the
dancefloor, his austere metronomic
beats have more in common with
the 12” post-punk boom of the
mid-80s than the banging EDM
tunes of some of his Scandinavian
counterparts. River In Me – one
of two tracks to feature Savages’
Jehnny Beth – recalls the thrill of
New Order’s first forays into club
culture, while funereal anthems like
November, Where The Shadows Fall
and Never Fade go back further to
the darker days of Joy Division. With
the ghosts of Siouxie & the Banshee
and The Cure also in the mix, Fixion
offers the perfect excuse to get your
Goth on again. John Ferguson
Dolly Parton, Linda
Ronstadt and
Emmylou Harris
The Complete Trio Collection
The coming together of three of the
major voices in country music was
a 'wow' moment in music history.
Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and
Linda Ronstadt started recording
together in the ’70s, but it wasn’t
until 1987 when we first heard their
collaboration on Trio, with Trio II
following in 1999 – both Grammy
Award-winning and chart-topping
albums. Newly mastered with 20
bonus tracks of unreleased material
and alternate takes, if you missed
these landmark albums the first
time around, they are a must in any
country music-lovers collection. A
triple treat.
Denise Hylands
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.
SimonWinkler
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. Tim Lambert
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