Record Reviews

Record review: Van Dyke Parks – Songs Cycled (2013, LP)

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With a career spanning several decades and many genres of music, he defies classification. Of course he is most well-known for his work with The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson (describing himself as a victim of Wilson’s buffoonery), but the fact he has worked with artists as diverse as Rufus Wainwright and Skrillex is often overlooked. All hail, it’s the return of living legend Van Dyke Parks with his first album since 1995.

It’s been forty-five years since his debut album Song Cycle, and his work has been ineffectively described as eccentric, quirky, or quaint ever since. The fact that, at seventy, he looks like a university professor has probably encouraged such descriptions, but there’s so much more to Parks than meets the eye. Songs Cycled is a beautiful mix of classical ballads, psychedelia, piano tinkling, and fantastical child-like lyrical landscapes that paint visual pictures with grace and style.

Opener ‘Dreaming of Paris’ could be the soundtrack for a Disney film set in the French capital, although is apparently about the US bombing of Baghdad, while ‘Hold Back Time’ follows in a similar vein. The grandiose ‘Wall Street’ was written by Parks as a tribute to the people who jumped to their deaths from the Twin Towers as they burned; a dark story hidden behind a typically quirky (there’s that word again) track.

There are a couple of fine covers on which Parks pays homage to his musical favourites, including ‘Sassafras’ by Billy Edd Wheeler, and ‘Aquarium’ by Camille Saint-Saens, and while this album should be appreciated by music-lovers the world over, it probably won’t be. Van Dyke Parks doesn’t fit into any pigeon-hole, and while that makes his music inaccessible to a lot of people, it’s also what makes him great.

SONGS CYCLED IS OUT NOW VIA BELLA UNION

Record review: Andrew Stockdale – Keep Moving (2013, EP)

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Andrew Stockdale

In a recent interview Brisbane rocker Andrew Stockdale suggested that while Wolfmother has been put on the back burner in favour of solo ventures, fans can rest assured that the band will possibly get back together “when the time is right”. For now, Stockdale is performing under his own name, and has released this four-track EP that precedes an album of the same name to be released later this year. If you’re expecting the change of moniker to bring a shift in sound and style for the singer/guitarist, then think again, as the overall feel is one of big rock riffs, monster choruses, and raw production. It’s Stockdale’s trademark ’70s hard rock sound that is the main ingredient in the sixteen-minute, four track EP. Opener ‘Long Way To Go’ begins with a riff that could have been lifted directly from Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti (listen to ‘Custard Pie’ off that album and try to spot the difference) and second track ‘Keep Moving’ is heavy on riffs in the vein of Stockdale’s buddy Slash, with lyrics that could describe Stockdale’s career outlook since the demise of Wolfmother, while closer ‘Everyday Drone’ is an interesting mid-tempo track that features a neat harmonica riff but ventures a little too closely to Oasis territory for comfort. While it seems odd for Stockdale to release an EP and album so close together and with the same name, if the quality is generally this good it shouldn’t be a problem. (Universal)

Record review: The Growl – What Would Christ Do? (2013, LP)

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Growl_WWCD_Cover_Web

While they may not be a household name by any stretch of the imagination, Fremantle six-piece The Growl have been building quite a following and reputation for themselves with tours across Australia and the United States supporting psych-rock brothers-in-arms Tame Impala. Many Australian fans will have first come into contact with the band on that tour, and subsequently noticed connections with Pond (in which singer Cameron Avery is the drummer) and The Chemist (also featuring keys player James Ireland). With this much musical foundation, things can only go right… right?

Upon listening to What Would Christ Do?, the first things you will notice about The Growl (apart from the brilliantly ballsy album title) are Avery’s gravelly growl of a singing voice, the bizarre and epic mishmash of junkyard sci-fi rock sounds, and the unholy monster of a noise the band’s dual drummers put out. Combine these elements with the basis of an extremely strong blues-rock/garage outfit seemingly battering the life out of any piece of equipment they find lying around, wandering soulful vocals and nightmarish lyrics, and you get What Would Christ Do?

An early album highlight is second track and single ‘Cleaver Lever’. Pounding drums and bass provide a solid backbone to Avery’s wolfish howl and dark, menacing lyrics about a “bullet in the chamber of my gun.” The excellent ‘Liarbird’ is a much more soulful affair, without losing any of the power present in other tracks, while their cover of traditional gospel song ‘John The Revelator’ is a potent blast of dirty blues and heavy riffs in suitably grand fashion.

‘Niywtlwoe’ (standing for ‘not if you were the last woman on earth’) is a nightmarish squall of science-fiction noise that clatters and churns and could well be the soundtrack to some twisted robot apocalypse or dark futuristic fantasy.

It’s not a stretch to say that What Would Christ Do? is every bit as good as Tame Impala’s last record, and the brash, unique style is something to be celebrated. To top it off, The Growl are also a damn fine live band. What would Christ do? Buy a copy.

WHAT WOULD CHRIST DO? IS OUT NOW VIA MGM.

Record review: Iggy & The Stooges – Ready to Die (2013, LP)

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Never one to shy away from controversy, Iggy Pop is now 66 and appears on his band’s latest album cover semi-naked and strapped up with explosives in a gunman’s crosshairs; not the most tasteful of artistic choices given recent events in the US. Thankfully, music-wise, the influential frontman is nowhere near being ready to die, and still puts as much of his heart and soul into his music and performance as he did when The Stooges formed in the mid-sixties. Incredibly, this is only the band’s fifth album in that time, and it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the proto-punk pioneers. Opener ‘Burn’ is dark and sludgy and sets the tone for what follows. “You’re taking over as the world turns, I’m on fire with a reptile, burn burn,” grumbles Pop, who’s in a pretty miserable mood throughout the whole album. ‘Gun’ sees him ranting “If I had a f**king gun, I could shoot at everyone” with typical Pop venom over a barrage of buzz-saw guitars, and ‘DD’s’ is a pretty ridiculous ditty about – you guessed it – massive breasts, reaffirming Pop’s determination to never grow up. Guitarist James Williamson is on top form throughout, having only picked up a guitar again in 2009 after a twenty year career in the electronics industry. There are a couple of clunky ballads to offer a bit of variety to the sounds on offer, including the downbeat ‘Beat That Guy’ on which Williamson solos like it’s 1975 all over again, and overall this album will feel very familiar to fans of The Stooges. (Fat Possum)

Record review: The Preatures – Is This How You Feel? (2013, single)

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I’m not going to lie. For the first fifteen seconds of my first listen to the new The Preatures track ‘Is This How You Feel?’ I caught myself thinking oh fuck… what have they done? For those first few anxiety-filled moments, as those retro-fuelled guitar lines crept their way out of my speakers, I foolishly wondered why the Sydney quintet felt the need to change their ‘sound’.

But just as quickly I moved on to wondering what exactly is The Preatures’ sound? The “baby be mine” pop melodies of ‘Take A Card’? The dark country-rock of ‘Pale Rider’? The smooth soul of ‘Young Brave Me’? Thankfully, I quickly came to the conclusion that The Preatures have such a variety of good musical vibes to offer that each of their songs should be judged as entirely separate entities, and not parts of a single greater being. Once Isabella Manfredi’s super-smooth vocals kicked in my doubts were eased, and by forty seconds in I was sold. Thank you, The Preatures, for an initially stressful but ultimately pleasurable half-minute.

‘Is This How You Feel?’ is the first single from The Preatures’ upcoming EP; the band’s third release, which follows on from the breakthrough success they achieved throughout 2012, centred on their excellent single ‘Take A Card’. Bright and funky with their signature girl/boy vocal dynamic and more than a hint of rockabilly guitar, it’s another seemingly effortlessly cool and sleek release from the young Sydneysiders, and bodes well for the band’s future. Mandredi takes the limelight vocally, with Gideon Benson contributing a few lines mid-song, as plenty of ’70s feel comes through from start to finish. In short: it’s a damn fine track.

Being the tour supports of choice for bands like Deep Sea Arcade, San Cisco, and Hungry Kids of Hungary has helped win The Preatures new fans around the country, and ‘Is This How You Feel?’ should continue to do the same. Anticipation builds for the EP…

Record review: Primal Scream – More Light (2013, LP)

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Now in its fourth decade, Primal Scream’s career has had more twists and turns than a motor race. From flower power, acid house, dub, dance, and straight-up rock ‘n’ roll, there’s not much the ‘Scream haven’t tackled since their formation in Glasgow in 1982. Since 2008’s Beautiful Future the band has undergone some changes; most noticeably with the departure of bassist Gary Mounfield, who rejoined the reformed Stone Roses and was replaced by Simone Butler. The great thing about Primal Scream albums is that you never know what you’re going to get, so what have the six-piece served up this time around? The answer is quite a mixed bag, and while it’s definitely not bad, it’s also not all good. Opener ‘2013’ is a decent attempt at a soaring rock song that will sound great live, but for every good song there’s one like ‘Culturecide’; a pretty poor attempt at a social/political statement that ends up sounding heavy and awkward, or ‘Goodbye Johnny’; a bizarre saxophone-heavy loungeroom number that sees frontman Bobby Gillespie doing his best/worst crooner impression. Single ‘It’s Alright, It’s Ok’ is pretty much 1991’s ‘Movin’ On Up’ revamped for a new generation; all uplifting Bob Marley-esque lyrics and handclaps, and ‘River of Pain’ features some nice acoustic guitar work over Gillespie’s breathy vocals. Primal Scream are one of the best bands to have come out of Britain since the ’80s, but a lack of cohesion and too much filler probably means More Light won’t be going down in history as one of their best albums. (First International)

Record review: Primal Scream – More Light (2013, LP)

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Now in its fourth decade, Primal Scream’s career has had more twists and turns than a motor race. From flower power, acid house, dub, dance, and straight-up rock ‘n’ roll, there’s not much the ‘Scream haven’t tackled since their formation in Glasgow in 1982. Since 2008’s Beautiful Future the band has undergone some changes; most noticeably with the departure of bassist Gary Mounfield, who rejoined the reformed Stone Roses and was replaced by Simone Butler. The great thing about Primal Scream albums is that you never know what you’re going to get, so what have the six-piece served up this time around? The answer is quite a mixed bag, and while it’s definitely not bad, it’s also not all good. Opener ‘2013’ is a decent attempt at a soaring rock song that will sound great live, but for every good song there’s one like ‘Culturecide’; a pretty poor attempt at a social/political statement that ends up sounding heavy and awkward, or ‘Goodbye Johnny’; a bizarre saxophone-heavy loungeroom number that sees frontman Bobby Gillespie doing his best/worst crooner impression. Single ‘It’s Alright, It’s Ok’ is pretty much 1991’s ‘Movin’ On Up’ revamped for a new generation; all uplifting Bob Marley-esque lyrics and handclaps, and ‘River of Pain’ features some nice acoustic guitar work over Gillespie’s breathy vocals. Primal Scream are one of the best bands to have come out of Britain since the ’80s, but a lack of cohesion and too much filler probably means More Light won’t be going down in history as one of their best albums. (First International)

Record review: Papa Pilko and The Binrats – Howlin’ (2013, EP)

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Papa Pilko

Having recently seen these guys at The Joynt in Brisbane, heard many of their new songs played live, and been blown away by their musicianship, style, and outright ridiculousness, I had a strong feeling this EP was going to be good; and I was right. There’s an exciting and fascinating group of new bands across the country ploughing the furrows of a fantastic blend of country, rock, and blues genres – Graveyard Train and Quarry Mountain Dead Rats to name but two, but Papa Pilko and the Binrats (lead by the star of the show, frontman and vocalist Cyrus Pilko) could be the best of them.

If you aren’t familiar with this banjo-twangin’, hard-drinkin’, rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ septet from Sydney, drop whatever you’re doing and go buy a ticket to one of their shows, and I mean now – GO! Failing that, get onto iTunes and get your filthy mitts on this EP – the band’s second after last year’s eponymous debut. That release had the excellent ‘The Gambler’; a song which got considerable national radio play and helped gain the boys a bit of attention, but it’s on Howlin’ they come of age.

Opener ‘Back Home’ starts off with some brilliant comedy banjo, guitar, and harmonica to kick off a stomping, barrelling track. Pilko’s ale-soaked vocals tell a story about his woman leaving home and taking his baby, which would sound like a load of nonsense and cliché if it wasn’t so catchy and fun.

Next up is ‘Some Kind of Evil’, which introduces the bluesier side to the band, and there’s even a hint of jazz amongst the horn lines and Pilko’s vaguely ominous lyrics about being overcome with “some kind of evil that comes over me, can’t you see?”

‘East Harlem’ is another banjo, horn, and double bass-led tune that shows Pilko to be quite the storyteller, even if you don’t always know what he’s going on about. Never mind, just “put a feather in your hat, and feed a bird to the old black cat”, as the man himself says.

‘Boardwalk Blues’ swings nicely and ups the tempo before the finale and title track, which sees Pilko letting loose on some solid harmonica blowin’, in between growling about road signs, altars, and night time in a fine finish.

To get the full Papa Pilko experience you really need to see them live, but this EP is the next best thing. Don’t let it pass you by.

HOWLIN’ IS OUT NOW VIA ITUNES AND BANDCAMP

Album review: Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold (2013, LP)

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parquet courts

Hype can often be fatal to new bands, but New York slacker-rock four-piece Parquet Courts are probably too stoned to care. Being labelled by some sections of the music press as the hottest unsigned property knocking around this year’s SXSW festival lead to the band being snapped up by Create/Control and their album being released in Australia. But is the hype justified, or all a bit of the usual industry shenanigans?

In the case of Parquet Courts, the attention and praise lavishly heaped on the band is more than understandable. Light Up Gold is fifteen tracks of a new brand of lyrical slacker-rock; funny, sharp, at times smart, and at times bonehead dumb. In short: it’s fantastic.

The shoddily lo-fi recording quality of Light Up Gold is somehow totally appropriate for this collection of songs – these four guys would probably spit in the face of the idea of a polished record. Opener ‘Master of My Craft’ is a great way to kick off, with singer Austin Brown proudly exclaiming “Socrates died in the fucking gutter!” over a barrage of frantic strumming and simple percussion.

There’s more than a hint of early Clash throughout – before they learned how to play, especially in the brilliant ‘Careers In Combat’, which sees Brown sharing life advice like “there are no spots left for park rangers, because there are no bears left to save you from, but there are still careers in combat my son,” and with a majority of songs under two minutes on length, this is a band that doesn’t give a damn about virtuosity or showmanship. Why would you, when you’ve got so much disaffection and contradiction barely restraining itself in your starving, college drop-out guts? And why not write a song about donuts with an intro that sounds like a Michael Jackson track circa 1985, as on ‘Donuts Only’? Fuck it.

It will be interesting to see where Parquet Courts go from here, and if they have the stomach or desire to toe the industry line, but this album is a damn exciting piece of work.

LIGHT UP GOLD IS OUT NOW VIA CREATE/CONTROL

Record review: The Black Angels – Indigo Meadow (2013, LP)

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black angels indigo meadow

Austin’s – nay, North America’s – finest proponents of drone-drenched psych-rock The Black Angels are prolific, to say the least. With an album released at least every other year since 2006, the Texans can fairly churn out the jams, and are back with their fifth full-length effort, Indigo Meadow.

While their bio may describe them as “experimental”, The Black Angels’ music has always been the psych-est of shadowy psych-rock; and fans of the band can rest easy in the knowledge they haven’t tried to change the formula in 2013. Fuzz, drone, crushing riffs, and brooding lyrical themes are the backbone once more.

The subject of the title track and opener appears to be a girl who has “been a problem since the moment I met ya” and who singer Alex Maas tells “you always cause unreal friction,” reinforcing the fact that this is one bunch of cats who don’t do love songs.

Middle-eastern-tinged ‘Love Me Forever’ starts off being equal parts The Byrds, John Lennon, and Page & Plant in their Egyptian phase, before unleashing a crushing riff that devastates everything before it. ‘Always Maybe’ sounds closest to ‘Bad Vibrations’ off Phosphene Dream, while one listen to the start of ‘Don’t Play With Guns’ is enough to induce sudden outbursts of air guitar or a blast of enthusiastic fist pumping if you’re that way inclined.

While in many ways it’s more of the same for the quartet, the songs are generally shorter and sharper, and while it could be argued that Indigo Meadow won’t win the band any new fans, it’s another epic chapter in the career of one of the mightiest psych-rock bands of the last few years. (Blue Horizon Ventures)

Record review: Kurt Vile – Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze (2013, LP)

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Kurt-Vile-Walkin-On-A-Pretty-Daze_sm

Since his 2008 debut Constant Hitmaker, Kurt Vile has been making the type of music that many other musicians would trade their biggest hit for. Critically acclaimed and loved by fans the world over, since Vile left The War On Drugs and went solo he has become almost a cult figure to those in the know, and has consistently improved his recorded output through 2009’s Childish Prodigy and God Is Saying This To You, and 2011’s Smoke Ring For My Halo.

Sometimes an album title is an oblique reference to some part of the band’s music or artistic outlook, but Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze almost perfectly describes what can be found on album number five from the 33 year-old Philadelphia native. Vile’s music in the past has had more than a hint of stoner rock; not in a fuzzed-out Dinosaur Jr. kind of way, but more like a free-spirited spiritual guru kind of way – he’s going to help you turn on and tune in rather than drop out.

Nine-minute opener ‘Wakin On A Pretty Day’ is a chilled opening track by anyone’s standards. Part Jackson Browne circa 1978, part mid-summer daze, part laid-back stoner warmth, it carries a message that features in much of Vile’s work: bad shit happens all the time, but whatcha gonna do? With excellent guitar work that is an overlooked part of Vile’s arsenal, it shows this album to be his most spacious and laid-back effort to date.

Some of Vile’s riffs on Smoke Ring For My Halo were heavily Clapton-influenced, and the same could be said for the rock-y ‘KV Crimes’, while ‘Was All Talk’ is not dissimilar to the excellent ‘Freak Train’ from Childish Prodigy. Take a quick look at the running times of the songs on the album and you’ll notice the extended jams on ‘Too Hard’ (8:04), ‘Air Bud’ (6:30), and closer ‘Goldtone’ (10:26) make this Vile’s longest album to date, and also one of his best. The only point that could be made in the negative is that there isn’t a stand-out or obvious hit here, but Vile doesn’t seem to be the sort of musician to be bothered by such trivialities. This is an excellent album. (Matador)

Record review: Ilias – Somewhere In Time (2013, LP)

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Sydney-based Algerian/Australian multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer Ilias may have taken ten years to write and six months to record his debut album Somewhere In Time, but when you compose, play, and produce everything yourself, you can afford to go at your own pace. The result is an impressive eleven song collection of jazz-tinged folk and indie pop tunes that is as original as it is refreshing. The white Gretsch guitar on the cover gives a hint at what lies inside; as deft, understated guitar licks combine with Thom Yorke-style vocals and harmonies in a laid-back and effortlessly smooth affair. With opener ‘Never Utter The Word Never’ Ilias sets out his stall as a musician who values melody and feel above showmanship, and on ‘Loving You’ his vocal range is allowed to shine. The ethereal and dreamy pop aesthetic is a strong point throughout, and on riff-heavy mid album tracks ‘This Life’ and ‘September Memory’ Ilias’s guitar playing comes to the fore in hypnotic fashion. A string-shredding solo could take these songs to another level, but would also probably detract from the humble and heartfelt nature of the lyrics, which tend to focus on the heavy subjects of love and loss. The overall feel of this album is one of velvety bar room vibes, complete with a level of polish not often found on independent releases, and these songs would probably best be enjoyed played live in an intimate, inner-city basement venue. Hopefully it won’t take ten years for a follow-up. (Independent)

Record review: The Delta Riggs – Hex.Lover.Killer (2013, LP)

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delta riggs

Kim Fowley, maniac former manager of The Runaways, once said “rock and roll is a nuclear blast of reality in a mundane world where no-one is allowed to be magnificent,” and that’s exactly what this debut album from unashamed retro-rockin’ soul slingers The Delta Riggs is. The Melbourne quintet already have three EPs under their belts, and Hex.Lover.Killer is a barrelling, rip-roaring romp from start to finish.

Opener ‘Stars’ shows that while The Delta Riggs appear at first to be a fairly straight-forward rock band, there is diversity on this album to keep you entertained throughout, and for repeated listens. The bass-riff heavy track sets the pace, then the excellently groovy ‘America’ takes things up another notch. ‘Scratch Flower’ is another kick-ass rock track, and ‘Fiend*’ has shades of a Chili Peppers intro and ’70s classic rock behemoths Mountain. There’s even an instrumental track in the form of the four-minute ‘Save It Til The Morning’ – epic.

Single ‘Rah Rah Radio’ was the eighteenth most played track on Triple J last week – a pretty damn good result for a straight-up blues-rock band ploughing their way through an increasingly electronic and folk-heavy play-list on the airwaves. The album is rounded out by the Guns ‘N’ Roses via Free-esque track ‘Something Creeping’, which comes complete with epic guitar solo and appropriate levels of harmonica, and the dirtily funky ‘Better’. Rock ‘n’ roll is here to stay, and Hex.Lover.Killer is making it happen. Good luck not wearing out your repeat buttons. (Rah Rah Radio)

Record review: Daughter – If You Leave (2013, LP)

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daughter

Londoners Daughter formed initially as the solo project of singer Elena Tonra before guitarist Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella jumped onboard, and in the few short years since their 2010 conception the band have been impressively prolific, to say the least. Five EPs, one set of signatures on a contract with 4AD, and a short foray into the American market via an appearance on the Letterman show later, and the band is ready to release their debut long-player, If You Leave.

At times ethereal and haunting, If You Leave will carry the candle of the wistful and heartbroken everywhere. The band’s tunes are undoubtedly well-crafted and intimate and Tonra’s breathy and fragile vocals are at times measured and beautiful, but the sometimes contrived and suffocating atmosphere conjured by much of this album may make you want to shout “lighten up you miserable sods!” in the general direction of your speakers. It’s one of those albums that you can appreciate is a well put together piece of work, but leaves you thankful when it’s over. In short, it’s pretty hard work.

In saying that, Daughter do exactly what they set out to do, and do it well. Singles ‘Smother’ and ‘Still’ are highlights, and on ‘Youth’ Tonra’s vocals are more to the fore, instead of being lost amongst a haze of guitar tinkling and shadowy background noise.

The constant sorrow and wistfulness becomes draining by sixth track ‘Tomorrow’, but the final track ‘Shadows’ is all shimmery guitar lines and pounding drums, and is well worth hearing if you can make it that far. (4AD)

Record review: Thelma Plum – Rosie (2013, EP)

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thelma plum

Eighteen year old Brisbane folkie Thelma Plum doesn’t mess around. Despite being a complete unknown twelve months ago, the Brisbane Music Industry College graduate has bagged a Triple J National Indigenous Award, scored $10,000 worth of recording time from the Deadly Awards, signed with Brisbane’s Footstomp Music (home of Busby Marou and King Cannons), and now launched her debut six-track EP – not a bad effort for a young woman barely old enough to buy a drink. Hype and promise may be one thing, but backing it up with good music is something entirely different, but luckily Plum does it with apparent ease on this excellent release. Warm vocal tones and charming folk melodies throughout can’t hide the fact that she is quite the ballsy folk singer; lyrics like “la-di-da-di-da-di-da-da… fuck you!” on the otherwise upbeat and sugary ‘Around Here’ reveal her abrasive side. The colourful language doesn’t stop there, with more weapons-grade cussing popping up on ‘Dollar’, complimenting the infectious hand-claps and gentle Aussie twang to Plum’s engaging voice. The beautiful piano ballad ‘Breathe In Breathe Out’ slows the pace right down and the title track gives the young singer a chance to flaunt her impressive vocal range. The only drawback with this EP is knowing that there is an eighteen year old singer out there with more talent and accomplishments than you will probably ever have, but that can’t be held against her. 2013 and beyond is looking good for Thelma Plum. (Footstomp)