City & Colour – 'Fragile Bird'
The first single from Dallas Green, AKA City & Colour’s third release, 'Little Hell', is 'Fragile Bird'. The most immedately noticeable aspect here is the electric element of the track that will leave his most devotional fans saying “where the heck has that straining acoustic guitar gone!?” Luckily for them, Dallas’s voice shines through strong as ever on 'Fragile Bird', and especially with a more up-tempo track, as is the case with his associated act Alexisonfire, he is freed up to excrete every inch of power holed up in his vocal. Needless to say, the same feel and atmosphere implemented on past City & Colour releases is still here, and this track, and most likely the album, will feel like a natural progression from 2008’s ‘Bring Me Your Love’ for many listeners. The fuzzed out guitar and abridged blues solos make for one interesting listen from this incredibly likeable Canadian, with an album to come that may prove to be Dallas Green’s masterpiece. 'Little Hell' will be released on June 7.
Husky – 'History’s Door'
Melbourne 4-piece Husky are gaining momentum in the live scene. Having just been chosen to play at Melbourne’s 'Pushover Festival' through triple j 'Unearthed', it is only a matter of time before we see the band traversing around the country with their folk luminaries. And deservingly so, as new single ‘History’s Door’ demonstrates the underlying potential of this new talent. Slotting in somewhere between Fleet Foxes, The Middle East and Boy & Bear, Husky would not immediately be considered as anything original. Yet ‘History’s Door’ has a feeling about it that is hard to pin down; the rollicking snares, intrepid electric licks, and sweetly plucked acoustics are tied together with subtle piano lines and wooing harmonies that are overwhelmingly hopeful and make it hard not to feel encapsulated by the sound. The band has recently returned from the States where it has been recording its debut album ‘Forever So’ in LA with the help of Noah Georgeson, who has previously worked with the likes of Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, and The Strokes. Check out the band’s Unearthed page to hear another two tracks from the forthcoming album in ‘Dark Sea’ and Hundred Dollar Suit’.
When the time comes to write and produce a seventh album as a band, ideas must either run low or begin to overlap at some stage of the creative process. Unfortunately for Death Cab For Cutie adorers, this time may have approached. Over its 4 minute duration, 'You Are A Tourist' shows a return to the indie pop stylings of previous releases 'Transatlanticism' and 'Plans' which really kick-started the band’s career. The track is very guitar-heavy, with a skittering drum pattern that aids in the construction of the song, yet somehow it still never manages to reach a pinnacle. Ben Gibbard harmonizing with himself is mildly displeasing, and shows a lack of imagination from the band, especially in a lyrical sense, which is demonstrated in the opening verse as Gibbard tells another that if their heart is burning to build it higher than the sun. This lyric dominates the most part of You Are A Tourist, and the guitar lick becomes annoying at times (it sounds like it would be annoying to play as well). Whether this is the beginning of the end for this Washington cross-over act or just a bad choice for an introductory album offering remains to be seen, though don’t be subjected not to listen, you must hear it even if you don’t like it. 'Codes and Keys', the band's seventh LP, is released on May 27.
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