STACK August 2016 Issue 142

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visit MUSIC REVIEWS
22 AUGUST 2016
MUSIC
The Amity Affliction
This Could Be Heartbreak
Amity have officially reached
levels of popularity that very few
people saw coming. The Brisbane-
based metalcore band have
enjoyed a steady rise to become
synonymous with Australian
mainstream ‘heavy’ music, with
thanks in no small part to triple j
who have lent them unwavering
support in recent years. Recorded
locally at fresh new Melbourne
recording studio Holes and
Corner with longtime collaborator
Will Putney, the album’s clear
standouts include This Could Be
Heartbreak and nominated lead
single I Bring The Weather With
Me. Both are powerful but also
incredibly vulnerable, leaving
behind tough guy posturing in
preference to hopeful honesty.
Solid. (Roadrunner/Warner)
Emily Kelly
Masked Intruder
Love And Other Crimes
Masked Intruder’s 2014 LP MI
was comfortably one of the year’s
best, unexpectedly surpassing
their self-titled debut in every way.
The Wisconsin pop-punk band
know how to write a hooky tune
so effectively that their gimmick of
secret identities and performing
only in coloured balaclavas really
seems totally unnecessary at
this point. Their continued lyrical
themes of crime, jail, retribution
and endlessly, hilariously unrequited
love sure work for them; Love And
Other Crimes is another concise
and woefully catchy collection of
unadulterated pop. Most of these
tunes could be performed acapella
by a barbershop ensemble and not
be a lick out of place. Still one of
the most fun bands in punk rock.
(Pure Noise) Emily Kelly
Trust Punks Double Bind
More joy from NZ’s wall of sound
in the debut from these five
young men. 2014’s release was
not quite a full album, but offered
a garage-y affair with swagger
and spunk – on these 11 tracks
we’ve left the garage (not too far,
mind) and entered the studio with
a bucket of angst to chow down
on. That seductively dangerous
alternate punk sound of the early
underground ‘80s combines with
fresh vengeance on Leaving Room
For The Lord, while the opener
Paradise/Angel Wire would easily
have captivated a thinking man’s
mosh pit at a mid-‘90s outdoor
festival. Fire, anger, sharpness
and raw energy comes through
effortlessly throughout this must-
have grower, yet it still retains
a refined and superior delivery
usually reserved for far older
artists. (Spunk) Chris Murray
The Avett Brothers
True Sadness
“True Sadness is a patchwork
quilt, both thematically and
stylistically,” claims Seth Avett on
The Avett Brothers' ninth studio
album. With brother Scott and a
talented band of musicians, they
offer a lot more than is expected
on these 12 excellent tracks.
Stitched within the quilt are many
contrasting sounds of psychedelic
pop, beats, orchestral strings,
rockin’ folk and country and
influences ranging from Queen
to Gillian Welch and a whole lot
more. Once again produced by
Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Tom
Petty), these are songs that are
so beautifully raw, heartfelt and
overflowing with disappointment,
hope and true sadness.
(Republic) Denise Hylands
Jason Walker
All Night Ghost Town
Jason Walker is a writer, singer,
songwriter and guitar twangin’
man. Originally from New Zealand,
he has been making music in his
hometown of Sydney for some
years now, playing in various
bands and doing his country
thang. For his fourth solo album
he has teamed up with producer
and Golden Guitar-winner Shane
Nicholson. Walker's love for real
country music is evident in his
songwriting and guitar twang, and
these songs reflect influences
from Guy Clark to Townes Van
Zandt to Gram Parsons. The tracks
tell stories of love; good and
bad. Take note folks: Walker is a
genuine country troubadour.
(Lost Highway Records/
Universal)
Denise Hylands
Ball Park Music
Every Night The Same Dream
Part of the brilliance of Ball
Park Music is that their songs
communicate messages about
things we may neither think about
nor necessarily want to hear, in
ways that are inherently pleasing.
A 'Life Lessons For Dummies' or
a 'Nihilist’s Guide to the Galaxy',
if you will. Their new record,
Every Night The Same Dream,
demonstrates an endeavour to find
their sound, and features the first
track ever not written by frontman
Sam; Blushing. Keep an ear out for
the improv’d centre of Pariah, and
of course giggle at Nihilist Party
Anthem – if you get a chance, the
clip is well worth a watch too.
(Inertia) Alesha Kolbe
Dinosaur Jr.
Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not
As an alternate to the instant
nirvana of Farm (2010) and the
effortless catch-and-embrace of
I Bet On Sky (2012); J. Mascis’s
latest with his most popular
moniker offers an earlier-sounding
tinge to this record, nowhere
better exemplified than on Be
A Part. It’s that unmistakable
Fogerty-as-a-Gen-X-slacker vocal
vibe and melody we love so well,
again present on I Told Everyone. A
distorted country/folk ballad arrives
via Lou Barlow (written by, and on
vocals) on Love Is… which segues
masterfully into the fire/fury of
Good To Know. This a grower – and
like all DJ albums, it’ll take just
two listens to feel like a well-worn
pair of socks you refuse to throw
out and instead wear to bed when
no one’s watching. (Jagjaguwar/
Inertia) Chris Murray
Eli Paperboy Reed
My Way Home
Guilty as charged; I’d never heard of
the guy… that is until I HEARD him.
From the first millisecond of his fifth
album (*hangs head in shame*) you
are hooked, sold, floored, seared,
flayed, gobsmacked and pretty
soon that dribble pouring out of
your open mouth will attract flies.
A Chicago soul swagger with deep
roots in sassy floor-shaker ethics,
it’s as if Jon Spencer and James
Brown had a kid and it grew up on
stage singing northern soul belters
with enough lava-fuelled energy and
authenticity to make death metal
groupies weep and raise their palms
to the heavens for forgiveness.
There’s no dud on this album; just
buy it and crank it, because it's
toppled Will Toledo (he of Car Seat
Headrest) from my Album of the
Year list. (Yep Roc/MGM)
Chris Murray