STACK #159 Jan 2018

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Kimbra Primal Heart Kimbra has long defied categorisation by constantly

First Aid Kit Ruins Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg have been stealing hearts since 2007 with their dreamy indie folk project First Aid Kit. Now four albums in, the duo possess a self-assuredness that is present right from the opening track Rebel Heart , a song that uplifts with its glorious trumpet-lead outro. There’s plenty of warmth on It’s A Shame along with rousing lyrics and stunning harmonies, and that wholesomeness is extended to the country-inspired Postcard . There are spellbinding sombre moments on the album too, such as the stirring To Live A Life 's delicate, finger-picked guitar. If there’s anything to gain from Ruins it’s that even the trials of everyday life sound beautiful when sung by First Aid Kit. (Sony) Holly Pereira

pushing sonic boundaries. Now armed with her boldest album to date, prepare to forget everything you thought you knew about her. Of course the Kimbra's powerful vocals remain her strongest asset, but on this album we hear them taking on exciting new tones: Top Of The World is a stomping R'n'B number that has her rapping over the beat, before returning to her trademark croon; her voice takes central focus on Like They Do On TV , while the punchy Recovery is a defiant track written in the wake of a break-up. Primal Heart takes Kimbra’s sound to thrilling new heights, proving that the talented New Zealander still has plenty up her sleeve. (Warner) Holly Pereira

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Wrong Creatures

You’re sitting in a bar: old cob slumped on a barstool, worn carpet, one ray of dusky light cracking through a window blacked-out to the real world, unsavoury characters littered through the room – you know the place I’m talking about. You know you shouldn’t be there, but you don’t

wanna leave. It’s the sort of place you’ll find Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s eighth studio album, with all of its sleazy bass, indulgent shrieking riffs and signature heavily-filtered vocals. D.F.F ’s ominous tones open the album, suggestively hinting at the sinister chords that kick in as Spook begins and the processed vocals that keep lead single King Of Bones humming along. The 12 tracks sway that way for most of the record, with scuzzy undertones and swinging guitars, until Circus Bazooko (which sounds exactly as you expect a song with a title like that to sound) swaggers through like a skeezy carny skimming cash off all the local kids when the big tent comes to town. (Inertia)Tim Lambert

Django Django Marble Skies It’s been three years since these lads released a record, and it’s clear they’ve put the time to good use; Marble Skies provides the chill-out vibes and dancey rock tunes the world’s been missing. Django Django have managed to combine rock beats with party anthems to produce a cocktail of dancefloor dreaminess, part knees-up air-punch, part foot- tappin’ Sunday arvo with a cuppa. An espresso martini of a record, if you will. Drums and synth come together as one on Tic-Tac-Toe with some sick vocals to boot, and Beam Me Up is Trekkian in both name and nature. Come to think of it, the whole album’s got a weird, ethereal feel to it. Is this the Djangos’ attempt at soundtracking the universe? Have a gander and find out. (Caroline) Alesha Kolbe

A-Sides Club Creedence Australia has had an enduring love affair with Creedence Clearwater Revival; “In the early ’70s it seemed every dag I knew had a copy of Cosmo’s Factory under their arm and played it at every party I went to,” Jimmy Barnes recalls. Now, an Aussie supergroup – including Jak Housden (The Whitlams) and David Symes (Boy & Bear) – has created an album of Creedence covers, with the vocals provided by Katie Wighton (All Our Exes Live In Texas) and Ness Quinn (Hot Spoke). They give the classic catalogue their own spin, with the result being more San Francisco than swampy. Very tasteful, indeed. (Universal) Jeff Jenkins

Morbid Angel Kingdoms Disdained Morbid Angel have a lot to prove with Kingdoms Disdained . 2011’s Illud Divinus Insanus was a disjointed affair that was greeted with universal disapproval due to its industrial leanings. It really was a stinker. Vocalist/bassist David Vincent soon left the fold for a second time to be replaced again by his successor Steve Tucker. Thankfully, Kingdoms Disdained opts for a full-on death metal assault. The riffs are back, as is the anger, making for a collection of songs that are memorable to the ears, yet still complex. Kingdoms Disdained will go a long way in redeeming the band in the eyes of fans. (Silver Lining Music) Simon Lukic

Cavalera Conspiracy Psychosis Psychosis is album number four for Cavalera Conspiracy and it finds Max and Iggor Cavalera in an old school mood. Fans have been insisting that the brothers return to the sound they pioneered with former band Sepultura, and I think the Cavaleras have been listening. It’s taken a few albums, but they have finally got it right, as Psychosis projects that early '90s feel – minus the nu- metal influences that plagued Sepultura’s tepid 1996 studio album Roots . It may be a little too late for some, but for what it’s worth, Psychosis proves that Max and Iggor still have a passion for thrash metal. (Rocket/Napalm) Simon Lukic

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JANUARY 2018

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