STACK #148 Feb 2017

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Various New Orleans Funk 4: Voodoo Fire in New Orleans 1951 - 1975 Now in its fourth instalment, Soul Jazz Records' excursions into the history of New Orleans funk and soul continue to unearth rare and vintage tracks by Crescent City artists whose rhythms pioneered the rock and roll revolution. Artists such as Dave Bartholomew, who co-wrote and produced more than forty hits for Fats Domino; pianist and singer Johnny Adams; blessed with a multi-octave range; James Waynes, an inspiration to The Clash who covered his Junco Partner ; plus Betty Harris, Norma Jean, Clifton Chenier, and Eddie Bo. These are just some of the exponents of the irresistible sounds of New Orleans music to be found on this superlative series. (Soul Jazz Records) Billy Pinnell

Eric Gales Middle Of The Road For starters, this is definitely not a "middle of the road" album. Eric Gales, who made his recording debut in 1991 as a 16-year-old, is acknowledged today as one of the world's greatest blues/rock guitar players, evidenced by his outstanding new album. Naturally right-handed, Gales learned his distinctive left-handed, upside down playing from an early age in the style of Jimi Hendrix and Albert King (both of whom are often referred to on this release). A powerful and sensitive singer, Gales isn't afraid to reveal himself on a number of deeply personal, reflective songs; on his only cover, Freddie King's Boogie Man , he's joined by fellow guitarist Gary Clark Jr. (Mascot) Billy Pinnell

Freya Josephine Hillock The Unceremonious Junking Of Me Ballarat’s Freya Josephine Hollick could be

describing her own voice in the opening cut on her second album: “As pure as driven snow, as sweet as honeydew, as high as a soaring eagle, as deep as the blackest ocean.” This is an album of glorious simplicity – no easy thing to pull off. Recorded by

Myles Mumford live at Ballarat’s Main Bar, there are no tricks or gimmicks on show. With wonderful economy of language and playing, Hollick’s voice and guitar are augmented only by Kat Mear’s violin and Pete Fidler’s Dobro and mandolin. Hollick is a young woman with an old soul, singing traditional bluegrass and country “with all sweetness of time gone”. “Sing them a saccharine tune,” she states, though she never descends to sugary schmaltz. Elsewhere, she ponders: “Why does a sweet girl turn to a life of sin?” Water is a recurring motif, with Hollick singing of its redemptive powers as well as the potential dangers lurking within. “A man is the water,” she sings, “coursin’ down the stream.” Love and loss, sweetness and sin... The Unceremonious Junking Of Me has it all. (Heart OfThe Rat Records) Jeff Jenkins

Carus Thompson Island

Cloud Nothings Life Without Sound

Los Campesinos! Sick Scenes

Ryan Adams Prisoner Prisoner , Ryan Adams' 17th studio album, is a map for anyone who is lost or broken. Divorces are tough, right? Moreso, in the public eye? With Mandy Moore? These events left the prolific artist with not much more than his music to turn to. The result: 12 tracks about loss, forgiveness, redemption and self-discovery. The track titles imply a darker tone than the album actually produces; Tightrope is a stripped-back affair with a smooth sax solo, Do You Still Love Me? will be the breakup song of the year, title track Prisoner will resonate long after your first listen, and the harmonica peppered throughout is perfectly placed for reflection. Adams never misses the mark – on this or any other album. (EMI)Tim Lambert

Sometimes, when you polish a rough rock for long enough, you will discover it was a diamond all along. On their fourth album, Cloud Nothings have delivered a mature, solid evolution; when the Cleveland trio emerged with the lo-fi buzz of 2012’s sophomore effort Attack On Memory , there was the ambition (and potential) to be more – frontman Dylan Baldi certainly thought so. With Life Without Sound Baldi’s vision for more substantial, guitar-driven rock is almost complete. While the scornfully brash Strange Year and Sight Unseen will appease traditional Cloud Nothings fans, the remainder of the album is far more polished. Enter Entirely and Internal World shine brighter than others although themes of liberation and catchy hooks are littered throughout. Look at that, you’ve found yourself a gem. (Inertia)Tim Lambert

Carus Thompson’s sixth album – his first in six years – opens with a tribute to Bon Scott. “You were always gonna crash land,” Thompson sings. “Gonna sing in a rock ’n’ roll band, livin’ hard, crowd in your hand.” Thompson doesn’t possess Scott’s cheekiness or knack for ribald rhymes, but he does know how to tell a distinctly Australian story with evocative images. First single Beach Fires vividly brings to life the ice epidemic ravaging regional areas. Thompson recalls watching “friends’ faces in the flicking of beach fires”, but now sees only “strangers and dead eyes”. This is

Sick Scenes is the sixth album from this seven-piece out of Cardiff, Wales. It is self-deprecating and anxious indie-pop in the most upbeat way possible. Lead single I Broke Up In Amarante perfectly blends frontman Gareth Paisey’s skeptical outlook and the band's confident, swaggering alternative riffs; fellow stand-out 5 Flucloxacillin is, as the name suggests, an ode to prescription meds. While much of the record tells tales of pent-up aggression, leaving your hometown and social unease (you know, indie stuff), the other half is songs about dealing with mental disease and alcoholism, backed by one of the tightest British bands in recent memory. (PIAS)Tim Lambert

quality songwriting. (MGM) Jeff Jenkins

FEBRUARY 2017

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