All too often I get excited about an album on the strength of its single, before discovering the long player doesn’t live up to the hype. It’s much rarer to find a disc that makes me appreciate the artist even more than I did before, but I found it with The Trouble with Templeton’s Bleeders.

I became enamored with the title track last month, commenting on its slow burning beauty. However just quietly I wondered whether that slow burning charm might wear a little thin and turn sleepy on an extended release. Happily Bleeders is about more than this mellow number. While it sits well on the album, it’s just one side of a very diverse artist.

I became excited at the opening track “When Will,” a song that started quietly but snuck up on me, enveloping me in such gorgeous sounds. The Trouble with Templeton has a real knack for creating soundscapes which make lush backdrops for his emotive lyrics. As a writer I was particularly drawn to “I Wrote a Novel”; it’s easy acoustic folk strumming and harmonica strains blend beautifully with the very personal yet relatable lyrics. After hearing such velvety vocals the gritty ones of “Someday Soon” took me by surprise, but they were so fitting for a track which channels the slave roots of rhythm and blues. I also loved the way the playful background vocals of “30 Something” propelled the tale of dissatisfaction.

I enjoyed listening to Bleeders so much that I was shocked when after just nine tracks, it was over. It really felt a little short, but that might not be such a bad thing. I was left wanting more, and surely that’s better than a disc that drags.

Bleeders is an impressive debut for this Brisbane singer-songwriter. I only hope he doesn’t leave us waiting too long for the next one.

Image source: The Trouble with Templeton Bandcamp page

Last week The Vasco Era released their third album, a self titled effort that marks their independent debut. It’s impressive to hear the Melbourne band are going it alone, but on listening to it I wonder whether they need that record company guidance.

It all started out so promisingly with the opening track “Nah Nah Nah.” I loved the crunchy guitars and all those delicious melodic hooks. The vocals weren’t pretty, but I warmed to their Dylanesque charm. You get the sense that Sid O’Neil means what he sings, and that authenticity initially compelled me.

But as the disc wore on, the elements that were initially fun started to grate. All too often those impassioned vocals and wailing guitars just started to create a whole lot of noise. The band is at its best when it’s reined in. The stripped back “Chemicals Run Out,” for example, is stunning. But all too often the music is too unrestrained, and then it hurt my ears.

This album shows The Vasco Era are a band with a whole lot of potential, but they need to learn what works best for them, and what is merely self indulgent.

Adrian Deutsch serves up something different with his new solo effort Home. It’s a far cry from the music he created with the now defunct Sydney rock band Red Riders, but that’s just why I like it.

In his press release Adrian tells readers the album came about a time when he was turning away from the indie rock he’d made a living from. Instead he found himself inspired by the sounds of Steely Dan, Hall and Oates, Michael McDonald, and other more mainstream fare. I could certainly hear the Steely Dan coming through from the opening strains of “Follow the Dream.” I also detected a touch of Elvis Costello in “For You, The War.”

But rather than sounding derivative, Adrian’s used the best elements from his favourite acts to inspire his sound. It’s all very smooth, with a great melodic focus. That makes the tunes instantly accessible, although there are more layers than the average Top 40 pop song. You can dig as deep as you like here. It’s easy to appreciate the quirky melody of “The Arms of America,” or the sheer joy of “By the Hand.” But listen to the lyrics and you’ll develop an even more profound sense of what Adrian’s trying to do.

Your average Top 40 artist wouldn’t dare take Adrian’s risks either. It’s eclectic, with some really interesting choices. “Yr Philosopher” really comes out of left field. It’s so deliciously dark and dramatic. The maudlin “Nothing I Can Do” is also an interesting choice, particularly for a parting track. However it’s such an achingly beautiful tune. Perhaps on such a diverse record it’s only fitting that even the final song sees the disc making a sharp left turn.

I liked Home from the first listen, but I have a feeling I’m going to embrace it even more weeks or even months from now. This is really smart music, and it sounds amazing. That’s a pretty heady combination.

When she’s not keeping company with The Bloodpoets, Bec Plath is creating incredibly moving music as a solo artist. Her EP Unrequited was one of my favourite releases of 2010, and I was thrilled to see her follow it up with another stunner in Nightfall.

There are just four tracks on this short player, which makes it a bit bittersweet. I was captivated from the opener “Obsession,” a song driven by a dark Tori Amos-esque pounding piano. It could easily become too gloomy, but it’s balanced beautifully with its strong melodic core. “What I Was Waiting For” floored me with its passionate delivery and lyrics. It seemed all too soon when the opening strains of “At The End of the Night” began to close this release. This tune starts sweetly, showing a softer side of Bec, but it builds beautifully to become something much bigger.

Nightfall sees Bec Plath delivering more lush and powerful music. It’s another stellar EP from this Queenslander. It only poses the question, when will this incredible talent treat us to a full length album?

Image source: Bec Plath Facebook page

I’ve had one of those weeks. My internet went down on Tuesday, and has only just returned. Other people might take this as an opportunity to have a holiday, but with deadlines looming I found myself dealing instead with a pocket wi-fi that dropped out frequently in my suburban home, and was crawling when I was online. My parents jetted off to Italy, leaving me feeling very jealous, and my husband started to pack for his two-week business trip to the States. To say I’ve been a bit emotional may be an understatement.

And so predictably I’ve looked to music to soothe the savage beast. And I found it in Nik Lone’s debut solo effort These Pictures Won’t Tell You. As I slipped it in my stereo and the first track “Raining” washed over me I knew I’d made the right choice. The track is a slow burner, beautifully built. I thought what an amazing soundscape Nik had created, with his unique voice another instrument in the mix.

More lush, lovely tunes were to come, particularly the string-laden “Time” and the old-world influenced ballad “Little White.” I found myself enjoying all the tracks, but I had a few niggly issues.

There’s a fine line between creating tracks that burn slowly and ones that are merely sleepy, and I think Nik crosses that sometimes. Some parts frankly bored me. Every song had its moments, but many tunes didn’t sustain themselves for the length of the song. I’d nod in understanding when they reached their pay-off point, but that often came about three-quarters of the way through the track. The radio lover in me noted that many people would have changed the channel by then, missing those really crucial moments.

But These Pictures Won’t Tell You really isn’t a disc for the radio-loving set. It’s challenging and complex. While I appreciate the way it soothed me this week, something tells me I’ll really get it a few weeks from now, or perhaps even longer. For now though I know this is a subtle, gentle album that’s a thing of real beauty. I know it won’t rev everyone, but for the patient listener it’s a find.

Image source: Nik Lone website

I first fell for the tunes of Mark Boulle through his work with the Haba Dudes, so I approached his solo effort So She Says with great interest. Happily this solo endeavor doesn’t disappoint.

With this album Mark’s been able to flex his creative muscles in a new way. You can’t completely take the gypsy out of his sound. “Gold Coast” in particularly feels like it could have been lifted from a Haba Dudes record. But in general the sound is a bit more mainstream with its blend of pop, rock, and blues.

At his heart Mark is a songwriter. His vocals aren’t the prettiest, but the truth in the words he writes give the songs a real beauty. I loved the relatable story of “On the Brink,” which tells the tale of a girl feeling like her life just isn’t what she wants. I felt the heart in “Sweeter Deeper,” and found the jaunty melody of the title track irresistible. The Tender “Hold Your Head Up” is a beautiful closer with a great take home message of keeping courage when you’re feeling up against it all.

These heartfelt tunes are matched with a bare bones treatment. It was cut at Mark’s Gold Coast home, and that lack of studio frills really serves the songs well. That rawness allows the lyrics to come to the fore, and that’s where he really excels. I think a studio might swallow these songs up. So She Says is an album with some rough edges, but that’s one of its real strengths.

Image source: CD Baby

I came to Eskimo Joe a bit later in the game. I was always aware of their music through the radio, but it wasn’t until the release of Inshalla that I really connected with the band. So I was pretty excited to see what they served up with their newie, Ghosts of the Past. The single “Love is a Drug” set the bar high, but sadly I’ve got mixed feelings about the disc.

It’s really hard to put my finger on exactly why I haven’t connected with this recording. It sounds gorgeous. Eskimo Joe are a talented trio, and they’re probably incapable of making bad, or even mediocre, music. This disc is really piano rich, and that gives the album an epic feel. It helps the music soar and elevates it beyond the guitar-rock the band used to deliver.

And there are some really great songs here. “Gave it All Away” is such a strong opener, with its big rock sounds and crashing drums. I loved the quirkyness of “Echo,” which has one of the most unusual and compelling melodies I’ve heard in some time. The title track seems destined to become a single. It’s got just the right combination of rocking riffs and melodic hooks to appeal to the MMM set.

A lot of the disc is quite big, but I prefer it when it’s less grandiose. The alt-country feel of “Just Don’t Feel,” with its acoustic guitars and rich strings, was like a breath of fresh air. And I was initially struck by the simplicity of the closer “Sky’s on Fire.” The initial portion feels like it was recorded on an eight-track in a bedroom. That lack of polish gave it a real truth, so I was disappointed when this track too became big.

Frankly I could listen to an album of the small stuff, and that might be where my problem with Ghosts of the Past lies. This album sounds incredible, but such refinement comes at the expense of some soul. The lyrics are really strong, but it’s difficult to focus on them with so much else going on. It’s interesting that Eskimo Joe gave fans a preview of this album with an acoustic tour. Personally I think that stripped back delivery would have made these songs much more compelling than the wall of sound the band’s offered here. Ghosts of the Past is far from a bad album, but it’s not quite the record it could have been.

Image source: Eskimo Joe website

I’ve been having a love affair with Dead Letter Chorus all year, happily devouring each single released as I awaited the release of their sophomore album Yearlings. With the big day still a week away, I was thrilled to sample it before it hit stores.

My expectations were very high, but Yearlings met them. It had me from midway through the first track “Covered in Snow.” The sound was just so lush and rich, with stunning harmonies and epic notes behind it. This track really set the standard, but there was more goodness to come.

I loved the quietness of tunes like “Underdog” and “Gently Weeping,” songs that were so intimate and beautifully crafted. “The Changing Tides” moved me with its heartfelt lyrics, and it was good to hear the playful single “Run Wild” without that annoying Toyota ad behind it!

The only disappointment for me came with the closer, “Edge of Town.” It’s not that this soothing alt-country lullaby was a bad track, but it made the album sort of peter out. I hoped to be stirred by the disc one more time, but instead I was left wondering “Is that it?”

The good thing about an album though is that you can always replay it if the ending doesn’t quite hit the spot. And I’ve played it many times, savouring the ethereal sweetness of Gabrielle Huber’s voice, the quiet strength of her band mate Cameron Potts’ vocals, and the gorgeous music they make with the rest of the Dead Letter Chorus. Yearlings isn’t the perfect album, but it comes awfully close to it.

Yearlings hits stores on August 26.

GoodTimes is one of those albums that immediately raises your expectations. The title of this Eagle and the Worm album promises positivity, and for the most part it delivers.

I must admit though, I wasn’t really sure when the opener “Summer Song” played out. Its name sounds upbeat and optimistic, but the tune while accomplished was also a bit more atmospheric and inaccessible than I’d imagined it. I could appreciate it as a standalone song, but it seemed like a really strange choice.

Thankfully things heated up with the second track, “Futureman.” Its summery feel, lazy slide guitar, and warm brass tones were exactly what I imagined when I saw the album’s title. “All I Know” continued that party vibe. It felt exactly like the sort of tune you might bust out after a few tequilas.

For me the disc took a turn for the worse with “Not Coming Home.” It really felt a bit too psychedelic for the rest of the recording. Perhaps it was intended to represent the point of the party where certain guests are dropping acid, but just as it’s hard to relate to someone else’s trip it was all a bit inaccessible for me.

“1 to the 4” brought the album back for me. It’s that perfect end of the party slow dance song, where after some liquid courage you finally find yourself in the arms of that person you’ve been eyeing all night.

GoodTimes is one of the most evocative albums I’ve heard in some time. Its tunes take me to places and evoke feelings, and that’s really a cool thing. But it’s sad that it kind of drifts off at the end. Perhaps that’s just representative of the way most parties turn out, but it seems a band should be able to sustain themselves on an album without resorting to fillers, particularly when it’s just ten tracks long.

Despite that though, I love this album’s organic, spontaneous feel. It was recorded in bedrooms and loungerooms, and that really shows. It’s a bit rough in places, but that makes it feel very honest.

I can imagine GoodTimes becoming my summer soundtrack. I don’t even like that season, but there’s an energy about this music that has me craving it.

Western Australia seems to have the market cornered on interesting folky music. From more established acts like John Butler Trio and The Waifs to newer discoveries like Tim Nelson and the Infidels, I’m finding a lot to like out west. And now a new name has caught my attention, as this week I learned about Rackets and Fives and their album Roslyn.

This disc is really ambitious. There are tunes here that are so removed from anything else I’m hearing lately, and that’s really exciting. I must admit, I found a difficult to latch onto it at first, but the more I listened to it the more I liked it.

Roslyn certainly isn’t a perfect album. It lacks a certain cohesiveness. An album can be eclectic but still feel like a complete unit, but this one seemed more like a disparate collection of songs. Some tracks didn’t quite hit the mark for me, yet others bowled me over. And when you can get that latter reaction from several songs on a debut, independent release, I think that’s admirable.

“Ellis Island” was the one that first made me sit up and really pay attention. The strings really lifted it into a new place that was so exciting. I was similarly moved by another internationally titled track, “London Town.” It started out haunting, with a quiet power that grew with an amazing intensity as the track unfolded. “Storm Surge” was rollicking good fun, with some of the most exquisite harmonies I’ve ever heard. And “The Confederate Gold Stand-Off Saga” is as epic a closer as its name suggests. It takes you right back in time with its furious fiddles and ominous lyrics.

As I write about these tunes now I’m getting excited about them again, which really tells you a lot about their quality. With Roslyn Rackets and Fives might not have made the perfect album, but they’ve shown they’re a band with an awful lot of potential.

Image source: Rackets and Fives Bandcamp page