STACK #129 Jul 2016

MUSIC

REVIEWS

visit www.stack.net.au

Dawes All Your Favourite Bands

The Deslondes The Deslondes

Jeff Beck Live+

You know the person Taylor Goldmsith is singing to in Things Happen . She's the kind that goes through life aggrieved by every little thing, cutting off friends like a selfish driver, permanently outraged at ordinary turns of fortune like she's somehow entitled to a standing exemption from randomness. That might be her again, or someone quite like her, in Somewhere Along the Way : the delusional narcissist coming unstuck while clutching a contact book full of therapists and promoters. "Her only plan in life was getting lost … she took me to the edge and made me watch." So unfolds the fourth album by California's coolest Laurel Canyon throwbacks: vivid portraits of weirdly familiar acquaintances sketched in hard, poetic truths. The gallery culminates in the ten-minute kiss-off of Now That It’s Too Late, Maria , a closing time relationship debrief with a candle "flickering like a one-way conversation." Goldsmith's philosophical streak extends an olive branch in the title track, an homage in tone and metre to Dylan's well-wishing farewell Forever Young . It's a sincere song that wills old wounds to heal despite a backstory that remains ingeniously implied rather than spoken. That's craft, that is. The other aspect that makes Dawes so compelling is the warm, woody folk-rock feel that's remained consistent since North Hills , their analogue tape debut of '09. This time it's David Rawlings on microphone placement and occasional guitar detail – assets that speak for themselves for anyone aware of his work as Gillian Welch's other half. She crops up too, with all due subtlety, as does veteran pedal steel ace Paul Franklin. The overall vibe remains more west coast than Nashville, but if all your favourite bands include the Eagles, Wilco and Kings of Leon, All Your Favourite Bands might add another one to the list. (Warner) Michael Dwyer

The Deslondes are a five-piece collective based in New Orleans. All members contribute to songwriting, arrangements and vocal duties, inspired by their heroes Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley and John Prine. They showcase their authentic love of traditional sounds by mixing their brand of country music through decades of influences, from swamp boogie, Cajun, folk, soul and rock n roll. Like a collision of Old Crow Medicine Show’s old timey enthusiasm and BR549’s (remember them?) honky tonk energy. This is real deal: good time twangin’ fun. (Warner) Denise Hylands

Jeff Beck, one of the most influential and innovative guitarists in rock and roll history, has released a new live album culled from performances on his 2014 US tour. Highlights include covers of The Beatles' A Day in the Life , The Mahavishnu Orchestra's You Know You Know, the traditional Danny Boy and a number of songs featuring singer Jimmy Hall, including Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come , Stevie Wonder's Superstition , Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing , and Muddy Waters' Rollin' and Tumblin' . Also included are two new studio recordings featuring guest vocalists Ruth Lorenzo and Veronica Bellino. (Warner) Billy Pinnell

STREAMYOUR FAVOURITE ALBUMS AT JBHI-FI NOW... NOW!

Did you know you can listen to all these albums as you read about them using the STACK app and JB HI-FI NOW ?

Day Ravies Liminal Zones

Helloween Black and White

Refused Freedom

Batpiss Biomass

Full disclosure: this writer was not excited when Refused announced their return. One of the most profoundly influential punk bands of all time, Refused’s legacy only looked to strengthen with age, so it seems wasteful to risk its destruction with a new studio album – 17 years after their demise. Refused will be unable to escape inevitable comparisons to their watershed release The Shape of Punk to Come. Album opener Elektra acknowledges this before the entire affair throws itself into a new set of influences, much of which is fresh territory for the band and none of which feels like it is executed terribly well. Confusing, like your parents remarrying after a turbulent divorce. ( Epitaph/Warner) Emily Kelly

Tussle was the vibrant debut album from Sydney’s Day

Thoughts of Germany’s heavy metal scene inevitably invoke Helloween’s name. After humble beginnings in 1984, they helped pioneer the power metal style, placing them at the forefront of the European scene. In 2015, their 15th studio album My God-Given Right finds them at ease with their history and their sound. Taking cues from the many facets of their past, the album covers a wide range of styles, from hard rock to speed metal, without losing it’s melodic edge. With My God-Given Right , Helloween prove they are survivors and after 30 years can still release a solid heavy metal album. (Nuclear Blast/Caroline/ Universal) Simon Lukic

Melbourne trio Batpiss slow their intense, abrasive rock down to a crawl – and sometimes a hobble. Their second LP has fewer dynamic twists than 2013’s debut Nuclear Winter , but it’s considerably more punishing in terms of sustained dirges. While the seven-minute Pulling Out prolongs its weighty presence, though, Waking Up at the Wheel is more upbeat yet just as bruising. Loud and abrasive even at their most patient, Batpiss stake out a gravelly common ground between sludge, doom, post- punk and grunge. Long may they lurch. (Poison City) DougWallen

Ravies. It was also a confident announcement from a new band with a new take on pop music, effortlessly combining the best of shoegaze, garage, and psychedelic melodies into fresh song forms. Liminal Zones is their second album, and a window into the next phase of their music-making. It’s both an expansion and refinement of their craft, weaving together ethereal pop, dream punk and surf-rock sounds. It’s a compelling collection, filled with echoes of the '80s, shades of the '90s, and an exciting vision of the future. (MGM) SimonWinkler

JULY 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

106