Category: Reviews

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“GoodTimes” – Eagle and the Worm

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.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mary Poppins at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney

It’s a strange thing to sit in a venue and not feel part of the experience. Others around you are likely swept up in what’s presented, yet you feel a disconnect. It’s happened to me a few times at concerts, when the young girls squealed in raptures and I felt underwhelmed. And I felt it again when I saw Mary Poppins live on Friday night.

The moment it really hit home was somewhere in the middle of the extended, or drawn out, version of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” It seemed to go on and on and it seemed everyone in the theatre was singing that infernal chorus over and over again, clapping their hands in time. And I thought “Well this is all a bit silly, isn’t it?”

To be fair, I wasn’t a great fan of the Disney movie. I saw it as I saw many others of the vintage, but didn’t rewatch it tirelessly the way I did Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I decided to go see the stage production though as everyone had raved about it, and my parents and husband were keen. And besides, I had never met a musical I didn’t like. Famous last words.

Mary Poppins wasn’t all bad. Verity Hunt-Ballard had the presence and poise to pull off the role of the imposing but kind-hearted titular nanny. Phillip Quast’s Mr Banks had just the right amount of bluster. The children were quite lovely, not at all as cloying as child performers tend to be. I wasn’t entirely convinced by Matt Lee’s Bert, but boy that man can dance.

And as a spectacle, Mary Poppins certainly exceeded my expectations. I’ve never seen set design like it, with the Banks house folding up and down and every which way to take us into the rooms and up to its roof, with the lights of London twinkling all around. And no one could fail to be impressed as Mary Poppins flew off into the night. The only problem was, when she did it at the end of the first half I didn’t particularly want her to return.

Where Mary Poppins missed the mark for me was heart. I couldn’t help thinking back to seeing Hairspray a few weeks prior, and the way I felt so invested in it. It wasn’t as glittery, but it seemed to have more soul. At so many points in Mary Poppins I felt detached, uninspired, and frankly a bit bored. I just couldn’t get swept up in it all. Clearly I’m one of the few that feel this way. The countless Helpmann Awards, glowing reviews, and comments of my own family members tell a different story. I guess it just goes to show that you really can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Image source: Newtown Graffiti @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Roslyn” – Rackets and Fives

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

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bachelor Girl @ Lizotte’s, Kincumber – 30 July 2011

I first saw Bachelor Girl in the last 90s. They’d just released “Buses and Trains” and the strength of that song saw them supporting The Goo Goo Dolls at the humble Newcastle Workers Club. I was a young thing then, keen as mustard to catch a live show, and so I arrived with plenty of time to catch their set. I remember being struck by the power of the pint-sized Tania Doko, the charisma of this tiny creature who sang pop songs that were far more intelligent than the average.

A lot of years have passed, but I was every bit as impressed as I caught them on their extended reunion tour last night at Lizotte’s. “The Cubby House’s” small stage was warmed up by singer-songwriter Beth Robertson. Her set was simple but moving. It was touching to see her interacting with her guitar-playing husband, and hear the way her voice fit so perfectly with her back-up singing sister. An ode to Newcastle and its small-town feel inevitably won me over, and her stripped back cover of Katy Perry’s “California Girls” was another highlight. It was a set without frills, but its sincerity and simplicity won me over. I really hope to catch Beth somewhere again; she was brilliant.

Bachelor Girl have certainly lost nothing over the years. If anything the time apart seems to have done Tania Doko and James Roche good, as they appear to be performing with real joy. There’s an easiness about the way they appear on stage that can only come from so much time together.

Their set was punctuated by the big singles, but also featured some of the “lost songs” only heard on the new greatest hits album. I didn’t know all the tunes, but I didn’t need to. It was much more fun to discover them as the evening unfolded, listening to the lyrics and the anecdotes James and Tania told between tunes.

The acoustic setting shed a new light on the songs I’ve loved for years. Songs like “Permission to Shine” and “Treat Me Good” were played to death on radio in their day, but I found a new appreciation for them last night. To hear personal favourites “Buses and Trains,” “Lucky Me” and “I’m Just a Girl” once more in the live setting was another thrill. And their version of “Help,” which has only been performed a handful of times, was breathtaking.

There aren’t too many second chances in life, but I’m thrilled I got another chance to see Bachelor Girl. They were one of the most talented Aussie acts of the 90s, and in 2011 they’re sounding every bit as good.

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“I Know This Now” – Timothy Nelson & The Infidels

After being impressed by several singles, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into I Know This Now, the debut album from Timothy Nelson and The Infidels. It’s been a disc I’ve anticipated for several months, so I can only but imagine how folks in the outfit’s home state of Western Australia have felt. However thankfully for us all, it’s been worth the wait.

Timothy Nelson is far from a household name, but he’s been carving out a solid career in WA over the past five years. There he sells out venues, he earns top support slots, and he’s even won the WAMi for song of the year twice. Not bad for an artist who’s only just turned 21.

Given his tender years, I think this album has been worth waiting for. It’s given the long player a very accomplished feel. There’s an easiness to it, an awareness of craft, that we don’t often see in a debut. Don’t mistake that skill for artificial polish though. It’s folk with a little bit of rock edge that comes from Tim’s earnest vocals. The lyrics are also exceptional, as we might expect in an artist lauded for his songwriting. The songs are approachable, but the use of harmonicas and lap steel guitars ensures the music still feels unique.

I wrote more notes about this collection of songs than I think I’ve done all year. That’s a testimony to their quality. There really are no filler tracks here, and just when I thought I’d found my favourite I heard another determined to change my mind. At this point I think “All For the Good of Love” might have the title. Its lyrics were amazing, and these words and the fairly minimal instrumentation helped me feel this song to the core. That sort of connection is pretty special. But I also loved the Whitlam-esque piano driven quirk of “You Don’t Know What You’re Waiting For,” the romantic modern waltz “Speak The Truth in Love,” and the irresistibly hooky “Let Her Go,” which had me singing along with the chorus well before the end of the song.

Timothy Nelson & the Infidels may just be one of Western Australia’s best kept secrets. Thank goodness the rest of Australia is finally able to discover this talented band.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Blood Thinner” – Jordie Lane

I’ve been enjoying a lot of back-to-basics music lately, but few artists strip things back as much as Jordie Lane on his sophomore effort, Blood Thinner.

Jordie recorded the disc in hotel rooms and basements on a four-track machine, with whatever instruments he could get his hands upon. His acoustic guitar and harmonica drive these tracks, but they’re complemented by all manner of unusual music makers, including wine glasses and Tupperware containers. It sounds quirky in principle, but the result is an album that feels far from gimmicky.

With this release Jordie presents himself as a troubadour in the vein of the dearly departed Tim Buckley. There’s a similar emotional core to this music, but I also hear overtones of Neil Young and Bob Dylan in there. He’s an old soul, whether he’s writing music that feels wiser than his years or separating his CD into sides A and B.

The songs are an easy marriage of folk and blues, gentle and unadorned. The simple recording process captures a moment in time, and you really hear that immediacy in the tunes. “Thin My Blood” takes me to an open desert highway, a scene where the world whizzes by from a car window. The title of “On the Net Till Morn” seems very modern, but the track itself takes its sound right back to the birth of blues. I also loved “Not From Round Here,” a gorgeous tale of isolation exquisitely told with just a little finger-picking on the guitar and some plaintive lyrics.

There’s a real beauty to Blood Thinner that I think might only be realised after a few listens. But from that first spin there’s a truth and a talent to what Jordie Lane does. If you’re impressed by this disc, or just keen to discover what it’s all about, you can see Jordie in the flesh on his upcoming tour. It kicks off in Ararat on Thursday and travels all the way around the country.

21 July 2011 – Ararat Hotel Red Room, Ararat
22 July 2011 – Harvester Moon, Bellarine
23 July 2011 – Baby Black Café, Bacchus Marsh
24 July 2011 – Lot 19, Castlemaine
27 July 2011 – Front Gallery, Canberra
28 July 2011 – Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle
29 July 2011 – The Vanguard, Sydney
30 July 2011 – Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland
31 July 2011 – Lizottes, Kincumber
4 August 2011 – Beetle Bar, Brisbane
5 August 2011 – Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi
6 August 2011 – Mullum Civic Hall, Mullumbimby
11 August 2011 – Westernport Hotel, San Remo
12 August 2011 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
13 August 2011 – Barwon Heads Bowling Club, Barwon Heads
14 August 2011 – Old Hepburn Hotel, Daylesford
17 August 2011 – The Loft, Warrnambool
18 August 2011 – The Wheatsheaf, Adelaide
19 August 2011 – Indi Bar, Scarborough
20 August 2011 – Norfolk Basement, Fremantle
21 August 2011 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
7 September 2011 – Deck Bar, Darwin
8 September 2011 – Mindle Beach Markets, Mindle Beach
9 September 2011 – Darwin Railway Club, Somerville Gardens
10 Setember 2011 – Jabiru Mahbilil Festival, Jabiru
11 September 2011 – Darwin Sailing Club, Darwin

Image source: JB Hi-Fi website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hairspray at The Lyric Theatre, Sydney

I figured I’d change pace a little to tell you about the musical Hairspray, which I was lucky enough to see at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre last weekend. I talk about rock concerts on here all the time, so why not a bit of musical theatre?

I came to Hairspray a little late in the game I suppose, on the release of the John Travolta movie in 2007. I instantly fell in love with the sweet but often naughty John Waters penned songs and the unwavering optimism of the story, so when I heard it was heading to the Sydney stage I couldn’t refuse.

I had high expectations, which were happily met. In many cases the performances were better than the ones we saw on the big screen. I guess that’s what happens when you can choose your players based on talent rather than their box office power. Esther Hannaford definitely outperformed Amanda Bynes’ insipid Penny, and while Queen Latifah was no slouch I think Cle Morgan brought added soul to Motormouth Maybelle. I’d also take the all-singing, all-dancing Jack Chambers over Zac Effron’s Link Larkin any day, and my inner teenager went nuts for Tevin Campbell’s Seaweed. I thought Nikki Blonsky was a wonderful Tracy Turnblad, but the Sydney star Jaz Flowers was every bit her equal.

The stars were standouts, but the clever lighting and staging was what really made the show for me. Images projected on plain screens created the Technicolor world of the 60s in a way that no old-fashioned stage scenery ever could. Elevating platforms added to the fun, giving more depth to the relatively small Lyric Theatre stage. I was swept up in the world created as you should be in any musical, and I relished it.

Hairspray will stay in Sydney until September 11, unless the season is extended. If you’ve been considering getting yourself along, I would highly recommend it. This musical is a whole lot of fun.

Image source: Hairspray The Musical Australia website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Traitor” – Inland Sea

It took just five tracks for Brisbane’s Inland Sea to make a massive impression on me. Their debut EP Traitor is truly something special.

The gorgeous harmonies are what struck me first. Perhaps that’s not surprising, as more than half of the band of ten (yes, I said ten) are vocalists. Their voices come together beautifully, creating a wall of sound the likes of which aren’t often heard.

I was also impressed that a band of ten could create music which didn’t sound cluttered or overdone. Everyone in Inland Sea seems to know their place, and they ensure the mix never gets too complicated.

This feels like the sort of music that hippies might have made while they were communing with nature in some rural setting. Rather than feeling dated, it has that organic and joyful quality to it that I associate with that time period. It’s pure and innocent, with its uplifting lyrics about hearts beating together and jangly folk sound. It feels spontaneous too, as if it came about in a jam session rather than a hard slog in the studio.

Every song is a standout, a tune that draws you in and speaks to the heart. I must have played this disc five or six times today, and I’m still not ready to take it out of my stereo. This EP will be a hard act to follow, but I’m really psyched to see what Inland Sea can create next.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Busby Marou” – Busby Marou

The charming music just keeps finding its way onto my desk. Busby Marou wowed me with their version of “Better Be Home Soon” on He Will Have His Way, and I was impressed when I heard my first taste of their original material with the single “Biding My Time.” So my expectations were high when Busby Marou’s self-titled album album crossed my desk. Perhaps not so surprisingly, this Queensland-based duo has delivered just what I hoped they would.

This is really is back to basics music, without frills or gimmicks. In a world where Lady Gaga reigns supreme, that organic approach to music is really like a breath of fresh air. It makes this disc feel instantly familiar. It uses elements we know but don’t hear enough of these days; simple but beautiful harmonies, the driving force of an acoustic guitar, and honest lyrics that paint moving stories.

It’s a really assured debut album. Busby Marou may not have recorded a full-length disc before, but they know their craft and their instruments. It’s very polished, but not in the artificial way we see so often in the music industry. It’s just really good.

Ordinarily I have instant favourites when I listen to a disc, but it hasn’t worked that way for me this time around. I found myself appreciating the way the voices melded together in one song, the faultless guitar picking in another, but it really all works as a cohesive collection of music rather than a series of obvious singles.

Busby Marou’s self-titled album is quite simply one of the best recordings I’ve heard all year. Seek it out; I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Busby Marou hits record stores today.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Joshua Radin @ Enmore Theatre, 21 June 2011

After a fairly busy few weeks, I really needed a bit of R and R. I found it this week at the performance of one of my favourite singers, Joshua Radin.

Unfortunately the slow dinner service at the delicious Italian restaurant we found meant that I missed all but the final song of Jim Bianco’s set. I’m really disappointed by that. He had an awesome folky pirate thing going on that I would have loved to hear more of.

Thankfully we were all settled in for Andy Bull. I’d enjoyed the music I’d heard from Andy before, but experiencing it in a live setting brought it to another level. This is probably one of the larger venues he’s played, but he made it feel so intimate with his stories about the songs and sweet, self conscious manner. It takes a very special performer to fill a theatre with just a voice and some keyboards. Despite being excited about Joshua’s appearance, I was a little sad to see him leave the stage.

The last time I saw Joshua he was playing at the uni bar, acoustic and solo for the most part. This show was a bit of a step up, in the hallowed halls of the Enmore Theatre with plugged in band mates in tow. One of the things I’ve always loved about Joshua Radin’s music was its intimacy. These are really small songs made for minimalist treatments. We didn’t always get that at this week’s show. Some songs received frenetic finishes they didn’t really need, particularly by the Danish drummer who seemed he was just waiting to join a big rock band. But for the most part the musical treatments were understated enough to keep me happy.

My favourite moments saw Joshua on his own though, acoustic guitar in hand creating music that was stripped back enough to let his lyrics shine through. Few artists could get away with leaving us with something as mellow as “Winter,” from his first album, but for me this encore was a clear highlight. I also loved hearing “Today,” the song that made me fall for him all those years ago, and my personal favourite “You’ve Got Growing Up To Do.”

Just like Andy Bull, Joshua is one of those special singers who shares himself with his audience. Hearing the way the songs took shape helped me see them in a whole new light, and listening to him speak of his fondness for our country endeared him to me even more.

It had its flaws, but a night with Joshua Radin is always a night well spent. Whether he brings the full band or not, I’ll be queuing up for tickets on his inevitable return.

Image source: Stephen Katulka