STACK NZ Sep #77

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Angel Olsen My Woman A new Angel Olsen album, a

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 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

Against Me! Shape Shift With Me

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

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

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

MUSIC

Wilco Schmilco

Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris

Big Scary Animal

“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

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

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

SEPTEMBER 2016

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