Category: Album Reviews

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Running With the Wolves” – Azure Ryder

I might be in the minority, but I don’t mind this period of isolation. I am missing certain things of course, and I have my worries. But I’m enjoying the slower pace. Work has quietened, and rather than thinking too far ahead about that I’m relishing the opportunity to take a little more time for passions. I’m spending a lot of time with music, enjoying the kind of deep listening that comes when you’re not trying to get a million things done at the same time. Rather than listening once or twice, then moving on to the next thing, I’ve spent all day listening to Running With the Wolves, the debut EP from New South Wales’ Azure Ryder. It’s made my day that much brighter.

That I could listen to this EP on repeat when it has just four songs is a testament to their quality. Each one is a standout, anchored by Azure’s warm, husky tone and honest songwriting. The opening track “Dizzy” is a powerful meditation on the importance of being open, to relationships and life in general. “Wolves” is a delicate acoustic guitar ballad, a poignant moment that is much gentler than you might expect of a song referencing wild animals. We emerge from the dreamy “Wolves” with “Stir the Dust,” a call to arms that harnesses pain as a force for change and growth. The EP ends with “Crimson,” a poetic exploration of a complicated relationship. Azure weaves references to nature through her songs. The sky, the rain, the earth, fire, these elements ground these songs and give them an even greater, tangible beauty.

“This is really the beginning of my story,” Azure explained “these songs are my leap of faith, taking control over the way I choose to wear my heart over my chest. I believe that feelings know no limits and music allows for that freedom. I hope that this EP will remind whoever listening that it is okay to feel everything, it’s okay to be human, it’s okay to feel alive! Own it, every little piece of yourself, that’s yours and no one else’s.”

I am so impressed with Running With the Wolves. It’s an accessible collection of songs that gets richer with every listen. I can’t wait to hear the rest of Azure Ryder’s story unfold. Running With the Wolves is out now.

Image used with permission from Universal Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Liberosis” – Yorke

There’s something about Yorke’s debut EP, Liberosis, that keeps drawing me back in. I listened to an advanced stream weeks before it dropped near the end of March. I enjoyed it immensely, marvelling at her intimate vocals and introspective lyrics. I thought she was musically so interesting, with a natural flair for layering beats with accessible indie-pop melodies. Yet, strangely enough, I didn’t put my fingers to the keyboard and write a review.

The very best music isn’t there for us in mere moments. We return to it time and time again. Listening to the songs from Liberosis this morning felt like catching up with an old friend. My husband stopped to listen and asked me whether it was the new Taylor Swift album. There’s a similar sweetness about Yorke’s vocals, a comparable knack for killer pop melodies. Just like Taylor, Yorke isn’t afraid to write confessional lyrics either. Songs like the single “Nights We Waste” expose the mistakes, the drinking, the questionable relationship choices. It’s messy, but growing up always is. And when you have the right soundtrack, it’s a little easier to bear. As those of us who’ve lived through it understand, with the right tunes you can figure out who you are, and what you want.

With Liberosis, Yorke shows great potential. It’s pitch-perfect pop, the kind of music that’s easy to underestimate, especially if you’re an old, jaded listener. However, spend some time with it and you might just find it restores your faith in the genre.

Yorke has pushed back her Liberosis launch shows to October. Tickets are available now from her website. You know everyone will be desperate for live shows by then, so get in early to avoid missing out!

15 October 2020 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
16 October 2020 – Waywards, Sydney
17 October 2020 – Grace Darling, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Speed of Life” – Adam Brand

When I received a press release declaring Adam Brand’s new album Speed of Life was “his best and most positive work yet,” I expected it was more of the same promotional spin. I’ve never really considered myself an Adam Brand. I thought he was a competent country singer, but for me he kind of blended into the Tamworth scene, never standing out the way a Keith Urban or Kasey Chambers does. Yet as I listened to his new album Speed of Life, I realised his marketing team was onto something.

Adam has no doubt benefited from working with Luke Wooten, who has produced albums for country luminaries including Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley. His work gives this album a real polish, but as the old saying goes you can’t polish a turd. You need quality material to work with and this album has that. The songwriting is first-rate, reflecting Adam’s content in a happy marriage after the birth of his first child. There’s a persistent myth that you need pain and heartache to fuel the best music, but this album proves that’s simply not so. There is so much wisdom here, so much meaty material that can only come when you’ve lived a life and found some peace.

Speed of Life opens with the title track, a country-rock ballad reminding us all to take time to slow down and enjoy the ride. The first single “Life’s Been Good to Me” comes next, anchoring the album with its positive, personal reflections on his good fortune. “Just a Love Song” notes the inadequacy of the three-minute love song to really encapsulate the love he feels for his wife, while “Don’t Wanna Let You Down” is a beautiful vow to his daughter. Everything Casey Donovan touches seems to turn to gold, so it’s unsurprising that Adam’s duet with her, “You Are Not Alone” is one of the album’s strongest tracks. Don’t think Adam has gone completely soft though. “Freakin’ Weekend” should satisfy the listeners looking for a good old-fashioned country party anthem. It feels a little out of place on this collection, but it’s still a hell of a lot of fun.

Speed of Life is out today. Sadly, Adam has had to cancel his upcoming tour due to a throat and vocal cord condition, but hopefully he can get out and play these songs for fans once he recovers. It’s a real shame because these songs are some of the best he’s written and they deserve to have the biggest audience possible. Until then, fire them up on your favourite streaming service or get the album from all your local music store now!

Image used with permission from Universal Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Conversations With Myself” – Vetty Vials

Vetty Vials’ debut album Conversations With Myself has been three years in the making. Time can be the enemy of the recording process. Invest too much of it and you overthink and overproduce, giving the music a slickness that undermines their authenticity. Yet this collection of songs retain a spontaneous energy that makes them so compelling.

The album title is so telling. These songs feel like intimate confessions, the kind of tunes you might sing out in the privacy of your bedroom when you think no one is listening, with lyrics ripped from the pages of a diary. They might be three years coming to us, but they still feel endearingly raw.

Vetty’s voice has a sweetness about it which reminds me a little of Ella Hooper’s. Its angelic tone provides a delicious contrast to the bold bassline and driving drums in rockier numbers like “Pride” and “Dust.” Personally I think it’s at its best in heartbreaking ballads like “Say” and “Nowhere Feels Like Home.” The quieter instrumentation gives her voice room to breathe, supporting it subtly while ensuring you can hear and appreciate every nuance.

In just eight tracks, Vetty Vials delivers a diverse collection of songs that should appeal to most music fans. It’s on the short side, but leaving us wanting more isn’t entirely a bad thing. Vetty Vials has hit the ground running, playing shows all around the country to support the recent release of Conversations With Myself. She’ll play two shows in Melbourne in the next couple of days. Catch her at The Old Bar tomorrow night or the Tramway Hotel on Saturday night for a special acoustic set.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Once More” – Lachlan Edwards

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I think we can all use a little more love in our lives. You could fire up the same old collection of tired loved songs, but it’s much more satisfying to sink your teeth into something new. Once More, the debut EP from Novocastrian singer-songwriter Lachlan Edwards hits the spot.

Lachlan is just 17, but he already seems to know more about romance than most of the grown men I’ve dated. He weaves poetic lyrics around simple acoustic melodies that speak to the heart. He’s not reinventing the wheel here, but he doesn’t have to. His voice is so compelling, with just a little gravel that makes you believe every word he sings. And those words are beautiful, painting pictures of moments in time that are small, yet meaningful. Gazing up at the moon after a few too many drinks, admiring her olive skin as she sleeps, candid snapshots of relationships that could be the kind of grand love we’ve all heard about.

Each of the EP’s five tracks is so strong that it feels unfair to single any out. Most were written over the last year, although the current single “Little Things” was conceived when Lachlan was just 15. I have a soft spot for “Fall in Love,” the way it captures those early moments of connection and infinite possibilities. But every song is special in its own way.

There’s a great beauty and optimism about Once More. It’s the kind of collection of songs we could all use, not just now near Valentine’s Day but all year round. Hometown fans can catch him at the following local events.

12 February 2020 – Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle
28 February 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ Speers Point Park, Speers Point
21 March 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ The Station, Newcastle
22 March 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ Speers Point Park, Speers Point
18 April 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ The Station, Newcastle
26 April 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ Speers Point Park, Speers Point
9 May 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ The Station, Newcastle
24 May 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ Speers Point Park, Speers Point
30 May 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ The Station, Newcastle
20 June 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ The Station, Newcastle
28 June 2020 – Homegrown Markets @ Speers Point Park, Speers Point

Image used with permission from Thrillhill Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Cover My Eyes” – Little Quirks

In a world where heavily produced music created by computers seems to dominate the charts, the back-to-basics tunes from the Central Coast’s Little Quirks are a revelation. There is no studio trickery here on their EP Cover My Eyes. It’s simple music, organically created, and that’s what makes it so special.

In five tracks the Little Quirks will make you fall in love with them. In fact, if you listened to the single and opening track “Life Wouldn’t Be” before, you’d know it takes just one. But what comes later isn’t just making up the numbers. Neither is it more of the same. The essential ingredients are there: those sublime familial harmonies, the strums of acoustic guitars and mandolin giving the music a country-folk flair. But the tracks help give us a complete picture of this exciting new band and their capabilities. “Cover My Eyes” really brings those harmonies to the fore, with a slightly more delicate touch than the single. There’s a cool bluesiness to “Where We Hide.” “Bury Our Bones” is eerily brooding, with a quiet intensity that draws listeners in. “Devil’s Ivy” is a real charmer, the kind of song you might imagine the sisters singing around a burning campfire. There’s an innocence about it which is so appealing.

Cover My Eyes is like a breath of fresh air, a reminder of the beauty of quality music stripped back to basics. It’s also a reminder that these Central Coast teens have massive futures ahead of them. The trio will celebrate the EP’s recent release with the following shows along the East Coast in the coming months.

8 February 2020 – Love Lanes Festival, Wyong
14 February 2020 – Courtyard Sessions, Sydney
28 February 2020 – The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine
29 February 2020 – Grace Darling Hotel, Melbourne
14 March 2020 – The Rhythm Hut, Gosford
15 March 2020 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
27 March 2020 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
9-13 April 2020 – National Folk Festival, Canberra
19 April 2020 – Scotts Head Festival, Scotts Head

Images used with permission from Ditto Music; feature image credit Adam Toole

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Through The Walls” – The Vanns

I’ve been procrastinating in writing this review. Not because I don’t want to tell you how good The Vanns’ debut album Through the Walls is, but because it’s not the kind of album that should be dissected and reviewed in a traditional sense. Instead it’s the kind of album that should be experienced, turned up loud and felt.

At its core, Through the Walls is an album about romantic love. It takes us through the highs and the lows, the heady moments and the ones where it aches. The fun and the frustration is all encapsulated in this collection of songs. “Red Eye Flight” is the perfect introduction, a rocking take on a traditional love song. The lyrics are so sweet, but those chunky guitars give it a little edge that prevents it feeling saccharine. That song and the ones to come are all about passion. It can be explosive, bubbling over in moments like the chorus of “Deranged” or more subtle in beautiful ballads like “Chelsea” and “Jasmine.” Anthemic tracks like “Call” and “You And I” encourage you to sing along. I can just imagine how they’d come to life in a sweaty bar with a sticky floor.

The Vanns have been recording music for six years, delivering quality release after quality release. Doing that when you’re releasing singles and EPs is one thing. Sustaining it on an LP is something different, but with this release The Vanns show they’re more than up to the challenge. This country has a tradition of churning out quality rock acts, and The Vanns may just be one of the best.

Through the Walls is out now. The Vanns has one final show left on their Aussie tour. Sydneysiders can catch them at The Metro on December 7.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Roar Like The Ocean” – Esimorp

Being a music blogger than bring a kind of exquisite torture sometimes. When I hear music I love, I want to share it with the world. Sometimes I can do that straight away, but on other occasions I have to sit on it, zipping my lips and biting my tongue until it’s time to chat about it publicly. Esimorp reached out to me in August with their debut album Roar Like The Ocean. I can scarcely remember what else I was doing in August, but I know I played that album a lot. I shared the stellar single “The Minutes” with you, but I couldn’t really tell you just how good the rest of the songs were, until now.

Roar Like The Ocean draws you in from the opening guitar strains of “As Long as the World Spins.” The track starts small and atmospheric before building to the kind of stadium rock that characterises this album. Just like attending one of the best rock gigs, listening to Roar Like The Ocean is a thrilling experience from start to finish. It’s one of those rare albums where I don’t feel tempted to skip over songs, even after multiple listens. There are no filler tracks, but I do have a soft spot for “Paris,” which swept me up in its relentless driving rhythm. The romance and optimism of “Nothing More” also makes me smile widely. It’s so impressive the way Esimorp can switch gears from a sweet song like that to something more atmospheric and brooding like the latest single “Ghost Town.” Many of their tracks could inspire a whole stadium to get on their feet, but they show they also understand the power of the understated through a track like “My Wreckage.” Roar Like The Ocean has so many twists and turns, but it never veers so far left that it loses the listener. Instead I found myself hanging on white-knuckled and enjoying the ride, so engaged and excited by everything that came next.

I’ve gone back to this album so many times over the last few months. Every time I did, I found myself thinking of acts like Coldplay and U2. Many of Esimorp’s songs have a similar confidence and anthemic nature about them, but while those big bands have gotten a little bland over the years, Esimorp has all the excitement and enthusiasm that comes with being relative newcomers. You can hear the passion for these lyrics and love for their craft in what they do, and that makes their music so easy to connect to.

Roar Like The Ocean finally drops on November 15. Find it on all your favorite digital platforms and stream the hell out of it. Actually, go nuts and buy yourself a copy. Esimorp are based in Hong Kong, but with an Aussie in their band hopefully we see them on our shores sooner rather than later.

Image used with permission from Esimorp

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Free Time” – Ruel

They say you have a whole lifetime to create your first release. The second is much harder, because it typically comes with the pressure of time. Leave it too long and no one will remember you. Rush it though, and the quality may suffer. If Ruel experienced any angst in creating his sophomore EP Free Time, it doesn’t show. At 16 years old, he’s releasing music with more confidence and swagger than many musicians twice his age.

Three of the seven tracks from Free Time were released as singles, so I wondered whether I’d have much to say by the time the EP dropped. But there’s plenty more to fall in love with here. Speaking of love, it’s the dominant theme here, but it’s explored with a maturity beyond Ruel’s tender years. That makes his music so relatable, whether you’re discovering love for the first time as Ruel might be or you’ve got a wealth of experience behind you.

You might assume that Ruel released his strongest songs as singles, leaving lesser tracks behind. But every song on this EP has such quality. There’s real variety too, from the joyous soul-pop stylings of “Painkiller” to the poignant piano ballad “Hard Sometimes.” No matter the tone, Ruel’s distinctive, emotive voice is front and centre. It’s easy to get lost in it, but make sure you tune into the lyrics, which Ruel says are his most personal to date.

Free Time is a stunning EP which celebrates the evolution of this promising Australian talent, and hints at even better things to come. Ruel has a few more headlining shows at home and in New Zealand before heading to the United States and Europe. Somewhere in there he also finds time to come back home and support Shawn Mendes! Here are all the dates you need!

22 September 2019 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
24 September 2019 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
28 September 2019 – Shed 10, Auckland
1 October 2019 – Odeon, Hobart
4 October 2019 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
5-6 October 2019 – Yours & Owls Festival, Wollongong
8 October 2019 – Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
10 October 2019 – Columbia City Theater, Seattle
12 October 2019 – Holocene, Portland
14 October 2019 – The Biltmore Ballroom, Vancouver
19 October 2019 – Subterranean, Chicago
21 October 2019 – Velvet Underground, Toronto
22 October 2019 – The Foundry at the Fillmore, Philadelphia
25 October 2019 – Songbyrd Vinyl Lounge, Washington, DC
28 October 2019 – The Bowery Ballroom, New York
29 October 2019 – The Loft, Atlanta
31 October 2019 – The Studio at Warehouse Live, Houston
1 November 2019 – Cambridge Room @ House of Blues, Dallas
3 November 2019 – Fonda Theatre, Hollywood
6 November 2019 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane (supporting Shawn Mendes)
9 November 2019 – Spark Arena, Auckland (supporting Shawn Mendes)
14 November 2019 – Vulkan, Oslo
15 November 2019 – Vasateatern, Stockholm
17 November 2019 – DR Koncerthuset @ Studie 2, Copenhagen
19 November 2019 – Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin
21 November 2019 – La Gaîté Lyrique, Paris
23 November 2019 – Manchester Academy 2, Manchester
25 November 2019 – Electric Brixton, London
26 November 2019 – O2 Institute 2, Birmingham
27 November 2019 – Saint Luke’s Glagsow, Glasgow
30 November 2019 – The Academy, Dublin
2 December 2019 – Die Kantine, Cologne, Germany
4 December 2019 – Melkweg Max, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Building Blocks” – THIA.

THIA. lays her heart bare with her new EP Building Blocks. This collection explores heartbreak and loss, the moving on and the difficulties that come with doing so. The opening track, “Intro,” introduces us to her angelic voice, but there’s so much more to this talented singer-songwriter.

“Breathe” is a heartbreaking look at the aftermath of a relationship, those moments when you feel like you have lost not just the object of your affection but every single part of yourself. Its lyrics are devastatingly raw and so compelling. “Holding Your Hand” explores similar territory but with a different attitude. Rather than the desperation and devastation, there’s a steely resolve here. THIA. understands her worth and refuses to accept less than she deserves. There’s a cool confidence here, despite the chaos. “Higher Ground” is a natural progression and the most joyful track on the EP. There’s an acknowledgement of loss but also acceptance and an optimism that something better is just around the corner. I love its vibrant trumpets and cool groove.

The EP closes with the stunning “Stuck,” an eloquent exploration of that limbo so many of us find ourselves in when a relationship is failing, yet we’re not quite ready to say goodbye. Here THIA. gives her most emotional and vulnerable performance on the EP. It’s utterly affecting, and leaves a lasting impression long after the final guitar chord.

Building Blocks is available on all major streaming services now. THIA. will play The Workers Club in Melbourne on October 3.