STACK #169 Nov 2018

MUSIC REVIEWS

visit stack.com.au

The Ocean Party The Oddfellow's Hall

Indigenoise Old Ways New Age Indigenoise don't believe in the great illusion of separation. Instead they see ties that bind, across boundaries and time. Old Ways New Age is their debut, a hip hop, electronic, and dub-infused record that combines talents and insights of poets, artists, producers and musicians. Each of the group's five members carry mixed ancestry and through these songs they seek to celebrate difference, as well as draw attention to shared heritage and culture. It's a joyous album that unites low end bass with higher consciousness. (Hydrofunk) SimonWinkler

On the cover of their latest album, six members of The Ocean Party stand looking out from the balcony of The Oddfellow's Hall in Yass, NSW. Friends of many years – bandmates of 10 – the band chose this location to write their eighth album. At one point they gathered for a simple acknowledgement of this shared time together. A minute later maybe they returned to their instruments, returned to their conversations, or returned home. But the photo remains, and it's something I think about when listening to The Ocean Party's new album. Their ability to draw focus on the moments of significance that can sometimes be missed, for instance. Their ability to harmonise disparate lives, and come together for periods at a time, also resonates. Songs reflect on individual times of transition, and ring with the sympathy and understanding of old friends. The result is an album that radiates warmth, tempered with sadness, filled with wisdom. (Spunk) SimonWinkler

Matt Corby Rainbow Valley “I can’t deny that there’s a new day coming,” Matt Corby sings on his much-anticipated second album. He’s certainly got a lot to live up to, as his previous LP Telluric (2016) topped the charts. But there’s definitely no sophomore jinx here, as Rainbow Valley is confident and assured and, indeed, a

better record than his debut. There is something sturdy and true about Corby’s songs: “All that’s making sense to me is melody and rhythm,” he admits in Better . He’s again teamed up with producer Dann Hume (the Evermore member who has also worked with Amy Shark, Tina Arena and Sticky Fingers), but Corby sings and plays everything on the album, which adds to the intimacy. You get the feeling that inside Corby is a ’70s soul man. He’s smooth, sophisticated and gently seductive. One song is called Get With The Times , though you sense that Corby is not overly concerned with musical trends or industry advice, preferring to blaze his own trail as a single-minded free spirit. “I don’t want to be controlled,” he croons. More power to him. Rainbow Valley shows that he’s a master craftsman. (Universal) Jeff Jenkins

RÜFÜS DU SOL Solace RÜFÜS DU SOL are keeping it short and sweet with their third studio album, returning from 2016’s Bloom with just nine new tracks. Opener Treat You Better will remind you why you fell in love with RÜFÜS in the first place, with their synthy dance-pop welcoming you home with a warm embrace. Eyes leans far more heavily into dance vibes, and title track Solace slows things down, reminiscent of classics like Sundream and Like An Animal . Six-minute closer Another Life might as well just soundtrack all your near-future daylight savings reverberating all around the track's rhythms and

Travis Scott Astroworld Whether you’re familiar with Travis Scott thanks to his music or his forays with the Kardashian clan, there’s no doubt you'll find his latest release Astroworld astronomical. Expectations are subverted right from first track Stargazing , with beats rarely staying consistent throughout songs, and lyrics pulsating at seemingly random intervals. You'll perhaps already inadvertently know Sicko Mode and No Bystanders from radio time or television, but you’ll want to stick around for Stop Trying To Be God and Who! What? ; - they're two of several stand-outs on the rapper’s best record yet. He’s come a long way from MySpace, and is paving a gleaming trajectory into outer space. (Sony) Alesha Kolbe

Gang Of Youths MTV Unplugged: Live In Melbourne In July this year, Gang Of Youths took to

Melbourne’s Meat Market to welcome MTV’s seminal Unplugged program to our shores for the first time, performing songs from their sophomore album Go Farther In Lightness . Some bands make a concerted effort to replicate their recorded songs

live on stage, but there is an inescapably raw and sometimes tribal feeling that accompanies this Sydney five-piece live – which is translated into this engrossing recording of the MTV event. The stage, adorned with over 1200 red roses – an homage to Nirvana’s historic 1993 Unplugged performance – played host to a beautifully stripped-back performance free of pretension. Front man Dave Le'aupepe led proceedings with Let Me Down Easy , accompanied by strings and brass section, before the rest of the band launched into Fear And Trembling and album highlight The Heart Is a Muscle - the latter being the last song written for GFIL and a dedication to Le’aupepe’s father. The album includes intimate pre-song moments like Le’aupepe’s touching introduction to and performance of Persevere , which he did alone on-stage at his piano – a sombre, beautiful moment of unadulterated reflection. Still Unbeaten Life from 2016’s Let Me Be Clear EP may seem an obscure for a closing track given the band's glittering back catalogue, but it was a stirring choice, closing the set full of kindness and hope. (Sony)Tim Lambert

Sunday sessions. Solace is just enough to get you through to summer. (Sony) Alesha Kolbe

22

NOVEMBER 2018

jbhifi.com.au