STACK February 2017 Issue 148

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20 FEBRUARY 2017
visit MUSIC REVIEWS
Starset
Vessels
Opening with the deep rumble of a
Tripod’s groan and a shiver of high-
pitched strings, Starset’s debut
quickly moves into double-kick-
heavy pop-punk, with frontman
and vocalist Dustin Bates leading
a journey into the outer edges of
space-time. Orchestral details and
electronic effects peep through the
walls of heavy guitar very skilfully
across the generous 15 tracks. That
Bates is a highly accomplished
academic, having excelled in the
hard sciences and astronomy
in particular, doesn’t hurt the
mystique behind these powerful
(if very serious) tracks; look out for
a Marvel comic series expanding
on the five-piece’s adventurous
'backstory' this year.
(Razor &Tie/CookingVinyl)
Jasmine Jordan
Deadmau5
W:/2016ALBUM/
We get the feeling Deadmau5
has been playing a tonne of video
games lately, because this release
could very well be his pitch as a
soundtrack to pretty much any
Zelda game, or even the Metroid
series. Truly, from 2448 giving the
impression that at any moment
someone’s gonna pop up and tell
you “It’s dangerous to go alone –
take this!”, to Let Go, which feels
a lot like that menacing bass beat
you get on approach to a boss
battle, no tracks on this would feel
out of place on a soulful video
game. Maybe this is his offer
for the next Bandai Namco title?
Worth a shot.
(Kobalt) Alesha Kolbe
Ty Segall
Ty Segall
Some things we know about Ty Segall: For the
past few years the Californian musician has
maintained an extraordinary rate of output. He's
released albums under his own name and other
names, produced various records, and performed
with countless bands. His ever-growing catalogue
covers punk, boogie, glam rock, acoustic folk, garage and pop. There
have been conceptual albums, biographical records, playful LPs and
ambitious projects, all united by an inexhaustible work ethic and tireless
imagination. But how is it possible that one person can be responsible for
such a diversity of sound? Ty himself once speculated that Ty is a myth,
or instead a collective of people wearing masks. This self-titled album,
the musician's second of that name, is an invitation to delve deeper into
the mystery. There are deeply personal moments such as the tender love
ballad Orange Colour Queen (dedicated to Segall's girlfriend) and there are
flights of psych fantasy into uncharted musical terrain. Some things we
may never know about Ty Segall. Long may it remain that way.
(Spunk) SimonWinkler
COMING UP There're plenty of quality releases hovering just over the
horizon; here are a few that we're particularly looking
forward to, out in early March.
The Shins Heartworms
The evolution of The
Shins continues with
project honcho James
Mercer funnelling
some very Animal
Collective vibes into
upcoming release Heartworms; look out for our
interview with the singer-songwriter, in which
we chew into the subjects of sexism, weird
instrumentation and the joy of music clips.
Heartworms is due out March 10 via Sony.
Laura Marling Semper Femina
This is Laura Marling's sixth album (her first,
2008's Alas, I Cannot Swim was released when
she was just 16 years old) and is named for
a tattoo the musician
had inked on her leg
almost 10 years ago;
she abbreviated a line
from Virgil's poem
The Aeneid – "Varium
et mutabile semper
femina", meaning "A woman is an ever fickle
and changeable thing" – to just "Semper
Femina", meaning "Always a woman". The album
explores female relationships and the meaning
of femininity, and it's due out March 10 via
Inertia.
Ed Sheeran ÷ (divide)
Despite what we predict
to be an irritating few
weeks of constantly
opening the glyphs tab
to find this titular symbol
(the respite after Bon
Iver's release was not long enough), we're
pumped for Ed's new full-length. Following
the ridiculous success of its first two singles
(released simultaneously last month), we can
confidently predict that ÷ (divide) is going to be
one of the biggest albums of 2017. It's due out
March 3 viaWarner.
All Our Exes Live In Texas When We Fall
All Our Exes Live In Texas is their name;
four-part harmonies
accompanied by guitar,
ukelele, mandolin and
accordian is their game
– and they're really,
really good at it. This
acclaimed, indie-folk,
all-female Sydney quartet
are releasing their debut on March 3 via ABC
Music/Universal.
Methyl Ethel
Everything Is
Forgotten
Following up their
fascinating debut Oh
Inhuman Spectacle,
Perth three-piece Methyl
Ethel are gifting us more nocturnal pop delight
with Everything Is Forgotten – and with it,
they're pushing the boat out further than ever
before. Produced by the highly respected
Jamed Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Foals), it's out
March 3 via Dot Dash/Remote Control.