Category: Album Reviews

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“The Murders” – Davey Spicer and the Creatures of Habit

Brisbane band Davey Spicer and the Creatures of Habit deliver groovy organic music with edge with their debut album The Murders.

It’s an ominous sounding title, and one which is perhaps eerier than the album warrants. However, these tunes are a lot darker than your average roots music from Byron Bay. These musicians are no hippies.

The album starts with “Waste of Beautiful,” a groovy tune with biting lyrics. It’s followed up with “Sinner/Saint,” with is so hooky and summery that you almost forget about the sharp words behind it.

Things take a turn for the eerie with “Bad Dream.” It opens to the sound of a sharpening knife, an effective tool for creating that sense of foreboding. Again, the instrumentation is so jaunty that unless you’re listening to the lyrics you might miss the darkness. But it’s there, deliberately underpinning that lightness.

From here the album gets a bit darker and more rock focused until “Love is Insane” brings it back to a less brooding place. The song is playful, despite its harsh truth.

I listened to The Murders a few times on a few different days before it really stuck with me, but when I got it I really got it. This album is full of melodic hooks yet deliciously dark, a wonderful anecdote to so much of the sleepy music around.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Behind Closed Doors” – Walking with Mirrors

It’s impossible to dislike Sydney outfit Walking with Mirrors. With their debut EP Behind Closed Doors they deliver five tracks that easily find their way under your skin. They’re not so revolutionary on the surface, but there’s just something about them.

We’ve all heard this kind of melodic rock before, with its big chords and sing-along choruses. But the conviction behind these songs elevates them above the pack. Lead singer Ryan Burke is a big part of the key to this band’s success. He gives the songs their heart, the gut-wrenching emotion that makes you believe the lyrics, no matter how clichéd some of them might be. I also give props to lead guitarist Jackson Holt, whose blistering hand speed kick so many of the tunes up a notch.

Not that everything hits the mark. While the title track “Behind Closed Doors” is undeniably catchy, when Ryan sings about the pressures of cameras in your face it doesn’t ring true. Perhaps the band simply ascribes to the “fake it until you make it” theory, but it sounds a bit insincere on a debut EP.

But Walking with Mirrors have a great energy, and a natural music sensibility. They rock hard, but they never forget about taking the audience along for the ride. The five tracks are a little samey, but they also appear to have come from a place of real heartache. There’s a lot to like here, and that helps Behind Closed Doors overcome any shortcomings.

Image source: Walking with Mirrors MySpace page

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Anicca” – Greenthief

With a healthy dose of angst and experimentation comes Anicca, the new six-track EP from Greenthief.

Six tracks is ambitious for an EP, but Greenthief are a pretty ambitious band. They love to pair driving guitars and pounding drums with delicate piano and ethereal vocals. They’ve stuck a tune called “Prelude” in the middle of the disc. And you just never know where any song is going to end up.

That was perhaps the most confusing part of this CD for me. I felt I was being taken in one direction, and enjoying it, before the band sent the song to another place. At its worst this kind of treatment lacks focus, and at its best it’s groundbreaking. I admit that I’m still trying to decide.

There’s a lot to like here, especially the opening track “Plea for Sanctuary” with its crunchy guitar chords and hooky chorus, and the epic closer “Grain of Sand.” These tunes hint at the potential of this band. If this is what Greenthief are capable of, I want to hear more of it. They seem to be still experimenting with their sound now and finding their own identity away from their many influences, but this EP hints at real greatness.

Image source: iTunes

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Into the Gallery” – Amanda Merdzan

There’s nothing like that feeling you get when you fall in love with a new musician. You want to shout it from the rooftops and share with the world the way this performer makes you feel. I’m lucky; I have a blog for that. So here it is folks: I am utterly enamoured with the music of Amanda Merdzan.

Now before you ask me who let me fill you in. Amanda is a singer-songwriter living just outside Perth, and she’s just released Into the Gallery, an album which is blowing my mind. On it Amanda sings, plays guitar, keyboards, percussion, and even glockenspiel. And oh yes, she touches your heart.

Her acoustic, organic folk songs are some of the best I’ve heard all year. She paints pictures so vivid that you feel you know the characters inside the songs: the lost love, the potential mother-in-law hoping you’ll stay with her son, Esther and her loving husband. She sings with such conviction and truth that you feel the songs in your gut. I shed a tear on listening to the closing track “The Last Song,” a tale of moving on after a breakup, and thought how rare and beautiful it was to be so stirred by music.

I feel so privileged and thrilled to know about Amanda Merdzan and her music, and I hope it’s only a matter of time before the rest of Australia catches up. She deserves every success, because she’s honestly incredible. Here is the video for one of the album tracks “Undress This State,” so you can see for yourself!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Skin” – Useless Children

I pride myself on listening to music of all genres, but I must admit I felt a little out of my depth when I put Useless Children’s new EP Skin into my stereo. It exploded out of my speakers with what initially seemed like a whole lot of noise. I wondered what I’d say about this music that was so heavy, and honestly unfamiliar to me. But as I sat and listened, it all became clearer.

Useless Children were born to the Melbourne punk scene in early 2008. We’re talking about the real punk scene here, not the one commercialised by Top 40 radio. That rebellious energy of their early days is still apparent today, but it’s apparently become darker. Having listened to the EP, I don’t doubt that one bit. It’s aggressive, and a bit confronting, but also invigorating in its frenetic pace.

As I listened I began to appreciate these elements, and the incredible vocals of lead singer and drummer Cinta. How inspiring to see a woman kicking some major arse in such a male dominated genre. I began to hear the melodies that I’d missed at first. I also began to appreciate those moments when such an EP might seem like just the right kind of music, the times when the middle of the road, mellow tunes I typically listen to just wouldn’t do.

Skin is an EP which grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until it’s done. In just three tracks, it makes its mark and leaves you a bit breathless. If Useless Children can do all that on a recording, I can only imagine how impressive their live show is. If you love your music turned up to 11, make sure you check the band out at the following shows.

4 September 2010 – Blackwire Records, Sydney (All Ages)
10 September 2010 – Burst City, Brisbane (All Ages)
17 September 2010 – Bar Open, Melbourne (18+)
19 September 2010 – The Nash, Geelong (18+)
24 September 2010 – The Metro, Adelaide (18+)

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Declaration of Independence” – The Earth Republic

This morning I’ve been listening to Declaration of Independence, the solid debut EP from Sydney rockers The Earth Republic.

It’s a fitting name for the EP, which the band wrote and co-produced. This real independence allows the band to play around with their sound to deliver something that is eclectic, yet instantly accessible.

The opening track “Breaking It Again” is emotive and deeply powerful, if a little mournful after a couple of spins. I enjoyed it, but was thrilled to see the band switch gears for “Stop.” This song has one of the best bass lines I’ve ever heard, and that infectious groove makes this track one of the EP’s stand-outs for me. I also love “Vain,” a delightfully schitzophrenic song that swings wildly between rip-snorting riffs and more relaxed, jaunty rhythms. The closing track “Ready to Go,” really kicks along; I instantly thought it might be what Golden Earring would do if they were to write a sequel to “Radar Love.” Even if it is a bit derivative, it’s bags of fun.

The Earth Republic have generously posted all of the EP’s tracks online so you can hear them for yourself. Personally I’m impressed. The band hints at something really special here, and I have a feeling it’d be fully realised in the live arena. When a record makes you want to get out there and see the band on the stage, I think it’s done its job.

Image source: The Earth Republic website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Mushu” – Mushu

The self-titled EP from Sydney band Mushu crossed my desk earlier this week, and it’s taken up permanent residence in my stereo. In just six tracks this exciting act has made a big impression on me.

It all starts with the attention grabbing “Neap Tide,” a powerful track which juxtaposes gorgeous sweet harmonies with wailing guitars. It’s an interesting juxtaposition, but one that manages to work.

Mushu are no strangers to this kind of unlikely pairing. Lead singer Simone’s vocals are warm and lush, with a gentle emotional rasp. Her voice struck a real personal chord with me; it’s got a quiet feminine strength about it. It gets even stronger when paired with Mushu’s big sounds, those insistent guitars on “Neap Tide,” the pounding piano and driving strings of “Don’t Forget Me.”

The first half of the EP shocks your senses, while the second settles into a gentler groove. The music is more subtle here, although you’d never accuse it of fading into the background. “Paper Aeroplane” was a standout for me, with its gorgeous lyrics and compelling raw emotion. I was also shocked by the stunning crescendo the band builds in “Carousel Heart.”

In this EP Mushu have proven to be a band that’s impossible to ignore. In a sea of beige musical acts, that is a very good thing.

Mushu’s self-titled EP is available through iTunes.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Take From the Rich” – Haba Dudes

When Take From the Rich, the fourth studio album from Haba Dudes, landed on my desk I knew it’d be my type of album. The back of the sleeve shows the band proudly holding their interesting array of instruments: the cello, violin, and a mountain of different drums amongst them. That sleeve is also made of 100% eco-friendly recyclable materials. A green band that embraces instruments beyond your standard guitars and keys? I was in.

Take From the Rich thankfully lived up to my already lofty expectations. It’s one of those discs that slips around you easily, drawing you in with its relaxed, natural notes. Nothing here feels forced. With three albums already under their belt, the players know their instruments and what they’ve got to do. Together they create a lush, organic sound that is impossible to resist.

The songs are an eclectic mix. When I saw Haba Dudes standing on the back of the cover, surrounded by their instruments and suitcases I felt like they might be a band of gypsies. Tunes like the title track “Take From the Rich” and “Understand You” have that quirky, playful travelling band feel. But that’s just part of the Haba Dudes story. Other songs like “Paint That Hole in Your Heart” and “Early Morning” wouldn’t feel out of place on a Josh Pyke album; there’s a similar easy, acoustic folk feel about them. “Story of Cake” is another standout which is every bit as comforting and delicious as its name suggests. The album’s made all the more impressive when you realise that the disc was recorded, mixed, and produced independently in lead singer Mark Boulle’s home.

One of the album’s later tracks “The Nice Lament” seems to sum up the Haba Dudes. The song reminds us that they play for love, not for commercial airplay, fame, or fortune. They’re not a band who will be delivered to you via the ARIA Charts or Video Hits. You’ll need to seek them out. But you’ll be very glad you did.

Take From the Rich will be officially launched at The Loft at Chevron Island, Queensland on July 31. It’s available now from CD Baby.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Songs from the 86 Tram” – The Bedroom Philosopher

The concept album appears to be a dying art these days, but no one told The Bedroom Philosopher. With his third studio album Songs from the 86 Tram, the man otherwise known as Justin Heazelwood has created a vivid cast of commuters.

Each song is told from the point of view of a particular character, and The Bedroom Philosopher creates these personalities beautifully. Each is incredibly realised, with a unique voice and outlook. I was particularly fond of the nan of “In My Day,” and the self-important suit of “New Media.” “Sudanese” is another stand-out, a clever satire of multicultural Australia.

While these characters are Songs from the 86 Tram greatest strength, they’re also its biggest weakness. I found it quite difficult to understand the voices of many of the figures; they speak too softly, or too quickly, or with accents that I can’t quite grab onto. The music too tends to overwhelm the lyrics at times, making it difficult to pick up each and every word. There were other instances where I felt I was simply out of the loop. Perhaps it comes from living my life in suburban New South Wales, as a friend from Melbourne insists this album is one of the greatest he’s encountered. However I found that Victorian-centric approach difficult to embrace. Comedy is all about the message, and when you can’t communicate it – whether the message isn’t heard or simply not understood – that humour is lost.

Having said that, there’s a lot to like about The Bedroom Philosopher and his Songs from the 86 Tram. Musically it’s incredibly strong, and there are some genuinely funny moments. This is a very clever disc, but it might not be as clever as it thinks it is.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Mousetrap Heart” – Thirsty Merc

When Thirsty Merc burst onto the scene in 2003, I thought they were one of the most original local acts I’d heard in some time. But when they followed up their debut EP and self titled LP with a lackluster sophomore effort, Slideshows, I began to wonder whether we’d already seen their best.

It’s been three years since the release of Slideshows, and as I listened to their newie Mousetrap Heart today it seems the time away from the spotlight was a smart decision.

From the opening title track, this disc feels like the fresh Thirsty Merc of old. It’s got deep grooves and the quirky lyrics that endeared them to me all those years ago. This first single is a standout, but thankfully it’s not the only one. “Tommy and Krista” is a classic story song, with beautifully painted characters and a smile-inducing melody. “Bettie Page,” a nod to the vintage pinup model sees the boys rock out. It’s a welcome change of pace in this album of radio-friendly pop rock.

As any Thirsty Merc fan knows, the accessible nature of their music isn’t a criticism. Here Thirsty Merc have built on the promise they showed all those years ago; that originality is still there but it’s been given a bit of spit and polish by Los Angeles-based producer Matt Wallace. It’s not surprising to know he worked on Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane, as many of these songs would have sat nicely on that recording. There are a few missteps; “All My Life” is musically brilliant but contains lyrics so generic it’s hard to believe Thirsty Merc penned them, and the final two tracks seem sleepy and aimless. But no album is perfect. Thankfully though, with Mousetrap Heart, Thirsty Merc has come awfully close.

Mousetrap Heart hits all Aussie music stores today.

Image source: Thirsty Merc website