When I hit play on Beneath the Surface, the debut EP from December Baby, I was instantly struck by her beautiful, delicate voice. However, as I listened closely to this five-track collection I found so much more to appreciate.
December Baby’s music is folky with an accessible pop sensibility. Think Aimee Mann, Sarah Bareilles, and Feist, all artists that December Baby proudly cites as influences. But she’s got her own stories to tell, and she tells them beautifully through these songs.
The opener “You’re My Rock” is impossible to dislike, an upbeat declaration of love. It doesn’t break any new ground, but it’s a lot of fun. I felt the longing in “If You’d Only,” a sweet song about promising the earth to an object of affection. “Jimmy Choos,” with its bitey lyrics savaging “mean, shallow girls,” is the standout for me. I love the way December Baby’s sweet vocals and the upbeat melody juxtapose with the cutting words. There’s a dramatic flair in “This Way” that really appeals to me. “Not Okay” is beautiful in its honesty. It’s probably the most ambitious track on the EP, with blues passages, poppier moments, and stripped back movements all sitting side by side. The transitions aren’t always seamless, but its fearlessness makes a strong statement at the end of this EP.
On a casual listen, December Baby’s music is poppy and pleasant. However, tune into the lyrics and as the EP’s name suggests, there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface.
Beneath the Surface is released today and available from iTunes. December Baby will announce concerts to celebrate the EP’s release soon.
Image used with permission from December Baby
If summer is but a distant memory and you’re cursing the winter chill, wrap your ears around Tribe, the recently released EP from Sunshine Coast reggae act 
The Voice graduate 
The lads clearly love being back in Australia. They joked easily with the crowd and made references to home that would go over the heads of their usual Las Vegas audience. With an isolated Aussie show, rather than a string of dates, the banter felt more off-the-cuff and rehearsed than it often did back in the day.
Speaking of the 90s, the highlight of the set for me came when Human Nature brought back this decade with a trio of songs from their past. I must admit, I felt that familiar flutter of my heart when they burst out with “He Don’t Love You,” complete with the very same dance moves they performed all those years ago. The song actually formed a 90s medley which paid homage to boy band contemporaries: New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and N*Sync. I only had eyes for Human Nature during that decade, so I didn’t get quite as excited as some of the other thirtysomethings in the crowd, but I loved the nostalgia fest. “Wishes” and “Every Time You Cry” followed, reminding me of all the beautiful memories I’d made during that period of time.
Ever since the lead single last September, I’ve been anticipating the release of Aussie ex-pat 
Unfortunately Stacey Q was unwell, so she didn’t perform. I didn’t mind too much, as “Two of Hearts” was never one of my favourite tracks. That left Men Without Hats to open up the show. They were such an 80s guilty pleasure, with the songs always outshining the vocals. I didn’t expect those vocals to be quite as terrible as they were though. Lead singer Ivan Doroschuk’s offbeat energy certainly entertained though. And their performance was mercifully quick; they played the two big singles “Pop Goes the World” and “The Safety Dance” before exiting the stage.
Real Life, or at least lead singer Richard Zatorski, were the first to fly the Aussie flag. I loved the theatre of his performance; the big hit “Send Me an Angel” was everything I hoped it’d be.
When Paul Gray stepped down from his spot in the house band and moved into the spotlight, punters rose to their feet and filled the sides of the venue where they could dance and sing. They seemed to know every word to every Wa Wa Nee song, and I found myself watching their elation a little more than the performance. I will give Paul Gray props for bringing out the only keytar of the night.
The first real stand-out performance of the night for me was Katrina, minus her Waves. Here is a performer who sounds every bit as good as she did decades ago, and she has the energy to match it. She made delivering a high-energy number like “Walking On Sunshine” look easy. However, I was a little disappointed that “Love Shine a Light” didn’t make her two-song set, especially since Maynard had mentioned her Eurovision win. I didn’t know the track she opened with, and while it was good I couldn’t sing along.
Limahl of Kajagoogoo was thoroughly charming, but his voice couldn’t quite sustain the notes it once could. Thank goodness for Robyn Loau, who supported him through those challenging highs of “The Never Ending Story.” “Too Shy” was also loads of fun, even if it didn’t sound quite as good as the record.
I expected to hate Paul Lekakis’ set. I was never a big fan of “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back To My Room).”But he was incredible. I may have been more than a little won over by that body, which looks like it hasn’t aged a day since the 80s. And that face. Add some high energy dance moves, both by Paul and his leggy female backing dancers, and what’s not to love? He was the real surprise package of the night.
I think Berlin might have had the longest set of the night, but I didn’t begrudge them that one bit. Again I knew just a handful of songs – “No More Words” and “Take My Breath Away” – and they performed them both flawlessly. Terri Nunn has such an impressive voice. She oozes charisma and really engages with her audience. And the band is tight. I was a little surprised to hear one of their songs was brand new, but when a band is as good as Berlin there’s no real reason to stop and simply rest on nostalgia.
Martika was the closer, and the artist I’d most looked forward to. I remember being infatuated with her ever since I heard her poppy cover of “I Feel the Earth Move,” a track that my dad hated because he felt it was far inferior to the original. Martika is another singer who has lost nothing over the years. The way she danced around the stage, yet delivered stellar vocals, puts the Britneys of the world to shame. I was anticipating “Love Thy Will Be Done,” a song I heard Prince perform so beautifully just a few months ago. She dedicated her performance to the man who penned it for her, noting how much we all miss him. She sang it beautifully. As she segued into the refrain from “Purple Rain,” I had to wipe a couple of tears from my eyes. We stayed in Minneapolis for the following song, “Martika’s Kitchen,” another track written by the Purple One. I’d forgotten just how much I loved this playful song, and how well Martika raps. “Toy Soldiers,” the last number of Martika’s set and the night, closed out this nostalgia-fest beautifully.
The very best albums, in my opinion, are the ones where artists lay their souls bare. Where they strip back all the artifice and leave themselves exposed and vulnerable. It’s rare to hear music that’s as raw as all that, but that’s just what we get on One For Sorry, Two For Joy, the stunning new album from London-based Aussie 
From the moment the opening strains of “The Valley” wafted through my speakers, I knew I was going to like Thieves, the latest album from 
With her sophomore album Blastoma, 
Last time around Richard was solo and acoustic, so I was excited to see him with a full band this time around. But before all that, Matt Cornell treated us with his musical stylings. I really appreciated his laidback blend of country and folk music. He’s such a talented songwriter, and honing in on his lyrics helped me truly appreciate what he was all about. I’m not sure he was the right fit for this crowd though. They seemed restless and so many of them chatted through his performance. Perhaps on a night sold on nostalgia, something more familiar would have been better received.
Or perhaps the crowd was just focused on the man they came to see, because they erupted for Richard Marx. “Endless Summer Nights” is the sort of song most artists would close with, but when you’ve had as many hits as Richard Marx you don’t need to keep anything in the tank. More smash singles followed, including “Take This Heart,” “Keep Coming Back,” and “Don’t Mean Nothing.” Richard informed us that he goes to enough shows to know what fans really want, and that new tracks would be kept to a minimum, to rapturous applause. I was thrilled to hear the new single “Last Thing I Wanted” though, a song which shows he still has a knack for crafting catchy tunes. He told us how thrilled he was that they’re playing it on stations that play Selena Gomez, when before he was only heard alongside artists like Bette Midler and Barry Manilow.
We all expected him to play “Hazard,” one of his biggest Australian hits. However, I’m not sure anyone anticipated Ronan Keating joining him on stage. I’m not sure the song really works as a duet, but the excitement Ronan’s appearance generated was something special. Personally, I was much more thrilled to see Jack Jones, the former singer of Southern Sons, on guitar for the night. I was in raptures when Richard told us he couldn’t let Jack go without hearing a little of “Lead Me to Water.” Jack’s voice sounds every bit as amazing as it did back in the day.
Another special moment came when Richard treated us to some of the many songs he’s written for other artists: the N*Sync song “This I Promise You,” Luther Vandross’ “Dance With My Father,” and Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer.” I didn’t realise Richard was behind these great songs, but hearing them sing them, it made perfect sense. I felt a little sorry for the folks who couldn’t quite hear when Richard became properly unplugged for “This I Promise You,” but honestly it was the best the audio sounded all night. The Enmore really has a lot to answer for in this regard. The performances of Richard and the band were on point all night, but the sound quality undermined their good work.
Melbourne band