STACK March 2017 Issue 149

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22 MARCH 2017
visit MUSIC REVIEWS
PVT New Spirit
‘Alternative’ may be too banal a
word to describe New Spirit; it
sounds a little more like a robot
and an alien beast getting down
in the outback. Since their legal
name change in 2010, Aussie
band PVT (previously Pivot) have
further embraced surrealism
and continued experimentation,
delivering them closer to the
uttermost peak of self-discovery.
New Spirit finds them expanding
again, building an exhilarating
soundscape from an abundance of
simple compulsions piled on top
of one another, reaching sky-high.
It lends the record a rhythmic
consistency, which – although as
smooth as sandpaper – is where
it gets its dense, voltaic texture.
Listeners will be rewarded with a
spiritual buzz like no other.
(Create/Control)
Savannah Douglas
Lewis Watson
midnight
This is only Lewis Watson’s second
album, yet his acoustic-pop has
become so plump with powerful
emotions that you may feel as
though a witch has fattened
you up, Hansel and Gretel style.
Actually, that’s incorrect; with
midnight’s themes of love and
loss as scaringly sentimental as
they are bloated with enchanting
imagery, you would have chosen
to eat those sugary sweets
yourself to stop your tears. Thus
it may sound surprising that the
English troubadour has actually
made this album with a slightly
happier tone than its predecessor,
but he sure is a compelling wonder
hidden in raw talent. Here’s hoping
he won’t disappear when the clock
strikes twelve.
(CookingVinyl)
Savannah Douglas
All Our Exes Live In Texas
When We Fall
Take four gals, an accordion, a
guitar, a ukulele and a mandolin
and you have All Our Exes Live In
Texas. Did I mention these girls
sing? And oh, can they ever sing.
Hauntingly beautiful four-part
harmonies will sweep you away
through songs filled with humour
and melancholy on When We Fall.
Hailing from Sydney, Elana Stone,
Katie Wighton, Hannah Crofts
and Georgia Mooney found their
special connection only three years
ago and have been wowing folks
ever since. A wonderful debut
album highlighting their indie-
folksy-country sound, inspiring
songs and magical voices.
(ABC/Universal)
Denise Hylands
Kingswood After Hours, Close To Dawn
Some say if you aim for the sun you might just end
up among the stars. If that’s the case, Melbourne
rockers Kingswood are space bound. After Hours,
Close To Dawn challenges your perception of this
group. “Wait, I thought they were a killer Aussie pub
band?” I hear you asking yourself. Sure, that is where
the three-piece laid a solid platform, but they’re far
too ambitious to stay there. Right from the very first gasp of frontman Fergus
Linacre on opener Looking For Love , this is a different Kingswood – there’s
more soul, more ‘true feeling’ if you will. The trio have challenged themselves
to greater heights than ever; for Alabama White, Linacre lay on his back in
a sleeping bag with cinder blocks on his chest, to create the emotion in the
vocals. That level of commitment is a sign of a band completely comfortable
with their direction. Like Your Mother and Creepin provide heavier moments,
while Big City and Atmosphere are pleasant, unexpected surprises. Belle is a
Beatles throwback – imagine a '60s girl in a drop top convertible driving down
the Great Ocean Road and you’re almost there. If you’re looking for a difficult
second album, you’re in the wrong place. If you’re looking for Microscopic
Wars 2 , you won’t find it. If you’re looking for the most complete work of
2017 to date: welcome. (Dew Process)Tim Lambert
Milky Chance
Blossom
Do you remember Stolen Dance?
If you thought Milky Chance were
done with their catchy tunes, you
couldn’t be further from the truth,
as they have returned to permeate
the radio waves with Cocoon –
the Hottest 100 #12. New album
Blossom’s lead single is not so
much an observation of larval life
cycles as it is a reflection on the
German group’s relationships
and life experiences – a theme
resonant through the rest of the
album, which itself is a new,
slower departure from some of
their previous releases. Worth
repeat spins are Ego (personal
favourite) and Firebird, if just for
the kick-ass instrumental bridge
right near the end.
(Neon/Universal)
Alesha Kolbe
Hadal Maw Olm
Melbourne’s Hadal Maw
impressed many with their 2014
debut Senium. The band’s technical
death metal approach was
delivered with authenticity and
a touch of eclecticism that gave
Hadal Maw a unique underground
voice. Olm takes the Hadal Maw
sound a logical step forward. The
band's dizzying musical chops are
still on display, but at no time do
they dominate at the expense of
the song. Also impressive is the
atmosphere the band have been
able to harness over the course
of the album; this ambiance, for
lack of a better word, gives tracks
such as Failed Harvest and Simian
Plague an emotional presence
that Hadal Maw’s peers are unable
to harness. Olm should not be
missed.
(Rocket/EVP Recordings)
Simon Lukic
The Jesus And Mary Chain
Damage And Joy
The Jesus and Mary Chain imploded
following the recording of Munki,
their last long player, 19 years ago.
Reuniting in 2007 essentially as a
touring outfit, tempestuous brothers
Jim and William Reid have finally
recorded a new album. The Mary
Chain’s signature distorted grit and
texture is omnipresent, but Damage
and Joy plays with a lighter heart,
the tone decidedly more positive,
and lacking the anger and venom
of Munki. Produced by Youth (who
also laid down bass on the album),
Damage And Joy expands on the
band’s unique sound and vocal style
without significantly changing the
formula. War On Peace, All Things
Pass and Song For A Secret are
standouts here, but any world with
a new Mary Chain album in it isn’t a
bad place to be.
(Warner) Paul Jones