New Music Monday - Parades, The Middle East

This will hopefully become a regular piece every Monday, with a hope of shining a light on either local or international talent that have released ear-catching music sometime in the preceding week.

This week I thought I would offer up two incredible tracks from two of Australia’s brightest musical collectives (and two of my favourites of past years if I may say without too much bias).

Parades - 'Water Stories'

Parades won critical acclaim last year with their debut release ‘Foreign Tapes’. The album was an eclectic journey across a vast musical spectrum, highlighted by the band’s ambitious soundscapes and expeditious songwriting overseen by the incredibly talented Jonathan Boulet. Boulet manages to deliver an impeccable level of production nous to every sound he creates, whether it is in his own solo project, with Parades, or one of a number of other bands he has so far worked with. It appears he has created another gem here with 'Water Stories', the first single to be lifted from Parades sophomore record, due out sometime later this year.

'Water Stories feels' like a natural follow-up from 'Foreign Tapes', as the band take pieces from their debut release and form a new, perhaps even more grandiose sound typified by the floating guitar lines that hold the track together. The song lyrically is reminiscent to 'Lung Full of Light', from 'Foreign Tapes', which too questions a life beneath the water, yet where the former appears more adolescent to a certain extent, 'Water Stories' has a greater sense of reach both in a musical and lyrical sense. Echoed voices hold a presence throughout the track, while sampled beats collide with Boulet’s precise stick-work to build a song that is structurally as sound on the first listen as it is on the 21^st. The crescendos that each moment of the track builds towards suggests that 'Water Stories' represents a feeling of almost reaching pinnacles, of being so close to something, of constantly striving to go further with the end in sight, and then the blissful feeling of reaching such a height.

Parades bear a striking presence in the modern Australian indie scene, creating music that constantly pushes boundaries while remaining relatively simplistic at it’s core. If 'Foreign Tapes' wasn’t enough to ensure their position amongst their peers, then it appears their follow-up may cement them as one of Australia’s most lauded rock acts.

• 'Water Stories' can be downloaded for free from paradesmusic.com now. The band is playing at Jive on April 16.

The Middle East - 'Black Death 1349'

Townsville folk collective The Middle East have been touring endlessly it seems since releasing their 2008 mini album 'The Recordings of The Middle East', which gained success in 2009 after being re-released as a 5-track EP. Tracks like ‘Blood and ‘The Darkest Side’ cemented their place as alternative radio mainstays, yet the darker side (pun) to the group’s music possibly gave fans and critics alike a sense of what this band was truly capable of. Songs like ‘Beleriand’, ‘Lonely’, and ‘Pig Food’, which was left out of the 2009 reincarnation of ‘Recordings…’, demonstrated a completely unique group; the atmospheric folk sounds that at times felt eerie and unsettling on these tracks defined The Middle East as a folk collective as good as any in the world. However, the band released a generic feeling track in ‘Jesus Came To My Birthday Party’ late last year, which simultaneously displayed the band’s lighter elements in combination with a feeling of giving in to their surroundings. Yet ‘Black Death 1349’ reinforces The Middle East’s versatility in many ways.

The song never really takes off from first gear, but it doesn’t need to. It is in the simplicity of ‘Black Death 1349’ where it’s beauty lies. A sinister tale of children dying and Jesus Christ being the survivors’ saviour is ruggedly spun over a lightly plucked acoustic guitar line. The production on this track really sets it apart from any of the band’s other releases, with a much more focused effort ensuring the band maintain their grandness whilst creating a vast distance that often shines through between the vocals and the music itself. It is a reflective ambience that slowly gets you in, and although it may come in at just under three minutes, it hopefully bodes as an indicator of what we may come to expect from the band’s debut full length album.

• 'Black Death 1349' can be downloaded for free from the Golden Plains website now. The Middle East's long awaited debut album 'I Want That You Are Always Happy' will be released on April 8, with a slew of June tour dates to follow.

Crystal Fighters - Star of Love

There is an alluring sense of mystery surrounding UK group Crystal Fighters and their debut album Star of Love. This mysterious nature is conveyed firstly through the album cover, which shows two masked witches standing aside an exotic looking woman with percussive instruments and is set presumably in a Spanish jungle, where the band draw the majority of their influences. It is then noticeable in the broad range of musical stylings that are drawn from throughout Star of Love that demonstrates the band’s attentiveness in combining as many elements as necessary to create a track they feel content with. The mystery also extends to the themes implemented in the band’s songwriting; according to the band there is a “cosmic element” in each of their songs which was influenced by a half-written operatic manuscript left behind by one of the band members’ grandfathers, who became a recluse in the latter years of his life. It was in these writing that Crystal Fighters opted to look into more conceptual aspects of life rather than focusing on the basics of particular situations.

As was aforementioned, these songs are heavily influenced by the music of the Basque region of northern Spain. The band use traditional Basque instruments such as txalapartas and txistus (10 points for pronouncing these correctly) to great extent throughout Star of Love, and the vibe they aim to give off becomes evident early on in the album. Yet it is their fusion of these instruments with a number modern day musical offshoots (think Latin acoustic guitars and Spanish lyrics melding together with dance beats, flourishes of synth and heavy electronic build-ups) that really create the Crystal Fighters sound. And they certainly deserve some level of credit for attempting to produce something so original and conceptual on the whole.

The only difficulty with these kinds of albums is overcoming the imposed facetious nature that they tend to carry, and Star of Love is no exception. It is almost a case of the more you know the lesser the experience becomes. Crystal Fighters make music that generally, and by all means minus any offence, does not take much thought to envelope. This overall makes for a completely enjoyable listening experience, one that evokes hope and happiness on the whole and will be appreciated by many, that much is clear. Tracks like Plage and Follow are the most indicative moments on Star of Love that completely demonstrate the band’s musical direction, combining every element of their sound to create some completely incredible tracks. Other standout songs on the album include Champion Sound, which sees the band dapple in flourishes of synth reminiscent of Four Tet’s recent work, and Swallow, which cleverly blends winding acoustic melodies and distant panpipes with heavy dubstep – and in case you were wondering, yes, this does work on so many levels.

However, this is an album that does take a number of listens to fully appreciate. Upon running this through for the first time you may get the feeling of ‘what have I just been listening to?’ The problem with Star of Love is that it comes in blocks; an aural onslaught of heavy dance tracks is thrust upon you at first, then the album slows down and slightly trails off into unnecessary tracks (see particularly I Love London) before once again reclaiming the listener’s attention towards the end of the album. There is no clear flow between each track, which, if implemented, would have made Star of Love a complete success. Furthermore, if you completely take away the cited influences that were drawn upon by the band on this release you will find an upbeat, eclectic, and mostly uplifting collection of songs that would rate highly in their own arena. It is hard though not to think about the manuscripts that many of these songs are based on, and in doing so, wonder about where these stories fit exactly in the context of each song. It almost becomes an instance of the band thinking too hard about what they are putting out, and feeling the need to justify everything they produce.

Crystal Fighters will certainly be a mainstayer on the live scene, with the nature of their music surely hard to resist on any dance-floor they perform on. The band has created a fantastic, carefree vibe on Star of Love, and although this appears as somewhat of a conceptual album, the group should have no trouble following this up in future releases. And to be honest, wherever this music is coming from I want to be there, and I trust you will too.

• According to a recent interview with triple j, Crystal Fighters debut visit to Australian shores is "imminent" (perhaps a Splendour In The Grass appearance), so this is what we may come to expect from the band in a live sense later this year.

2011

Okay, it appears I haven't been around these parts too much in the past 6 months or so (shit, time does indeed fly). No that I have been inactive on the reviewing front, most often I have just neglected this forum for one reason or another. But I have decided to make a comeback in the hope that someone out there may read this and appreciate the opinions of a passionate music writer. As mentioned, I have produced a few articles in the past few months, and they can all be read here: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/people/sam-1710/portfolio/articles/ Most notable of the articles include a review of Little Red's 'Midnight Remember', an interview with Benjamin Plant of Miami Horror, and live reviews of Cloud Control, Alexisonfire, and Hungry Kids of Hungary to name but a few. Perhaps you can enjoy these at your own leisure.

In the meantime I will hopefully continue to post more frequently on here in order to keep you up to date with various live shows and well-documented albums. It is only February, and there has already been some fantastic (and some not so fantastic) music released this year, which I will hopefully have a chance to back track and provide an opinion on. And of course, the music world was surprised last week when Radiohead dropped their 8th album 'The King of Limbs' seemingly from nowhere, so it would be wrong not to have a view on that in the coming days. I think that is all. The first review I will provide for this year is from UK group Crystal Fighters, who gained some early 2011 success with their track 'Follow'. Look for analysis of 'Star of Love' above this post.

Ciao.

Washington – I Believe You Liar

Over the past 2 years or so, Megan Washington has slowly carved out a reputation for producing quirky and enlightening pop songs. Tracks like Cement, Clementine and How to Tame Lions managed to gain regular radio airtime, and the Australian public slowly began to take notice of the talent that was at hand. With I Believe You Liar, Washington fulfils all expectations by producing an album that is full of twists and turns, highlighting the Melbourne chanteuse’s ability to be equal parts uplifting and inverted when the time is nigh.

There is so much variation on I Believe You Liar that it is hard to really single-out Washington’s style. However, at its core, the music is quintessential indie-pop, with subtle tangents that help to make each track unique. The combination of mostly high-end electric guitar and catchy piano hooks pushes the majority of the album. Another attractive side to Washington’s sound is the frequent use of either shakers or tambourine in the rockier, upbeat tracks on this CD, which help to further engage the listener. These elements are no more evident than at the beginning of the album, with Navy Blues and Cement encapsulating the real pop aspect that is scattered throughout I Believe You Liar.

Songs like The Hardest Part and the tango-inducing Spanish Temper carry on with the more playful components of the album, showcasing Washington’s impeccable turn-of-phrase in her songwriting. In contrast, the minimalism of tracks like Lover/Soldier and Underground highlight a more emotional and reflective characteristic of the artist’s music. In the case of Underground, Megan takes on the role of a balladeer, singing lyrics that evoke images of sunny days spent with family over a lightly finger-picked electric guitar. Bona fide singles Rich Kids and Sunday Best further strengthen the mid-section of this album, and it is these tracks that display the more chic elements of Washington’s sound.

The album also sees previously released tracks reappear, which is certainly implemented to good effect in the case of Clementine and How to Tame Lions. The former opens with a deep synth line that ultimately leads into a joyous, optimistic sounding tune, and shows off Washington’s ability to write lyrics that are simple in essence, but still seem to represent greater meanings. How to Tame Lions, in the same vein as Clementine, opens with a drone-like keyboard beat and slowly opens up to display a more introspective side of the singer that questions ideas of life and love with quite thoughtful analogies. It is interesting to see how these two tracks almost find the middle ground between the upbeat and down-tempo extremes on I Believe You Liar.

Washington manages to find the perfect balance in a lyrical sense between the harder, edgier songs and the more emotive and raw moments on the album. It is clear that the singer has given herself plenty of freedom in the songs that are written, and the unpredictability of time signatures and lyrical content helps to make the album a more enjoyable listening experience on the whole. The album culminates in the beautifully crafted title track, which floats along through a symphonic-sounding string section backing an elegant grand piano line, and sees Megan singing with more emotion than any other track on I Believe You Liar.

Put simply, this album is going to great things for Megan and her friends. In I Believe You Liar, we have witnessed an artist with raw talent and emotion not scared to write unashamedly pop songs that are unique, yet still manage to connect with a wide audience. It appears Australia has a new female songwriter to embrace, and it appears we will be embracing Washington for years to come yet. She has certainly established herself amongst her contemporaries with this album; it is hard to imagine what more she can come up with, but the prospect is indeed an exciting one.

The Bank Holidays - Sail Becomes A Kite

The Bank Holidays are a band you would listen to on a beach, sitting on the sand, dreaming the day away. Comprised of Nat Carson, Stuart Leach, and James and Bekk Crombie, the group’s second album Sail Becomes A Kite evokes images of getting lost in far away places, while also containing lighter, more contemplative moments which add a dreamy element to the album. Metaphors of the sea and floating away on the breeze help to carry themes of love and loss, and allow the listener to contemplate and dream simultaneously.

The follow-up to As A Film, the band’s debut LP, Sail Becomes A Kite was very much influenced by a sense of longing for “home” after an extensive stay in a Norwegian coastal house. It is easy to see both the Australian and European inflections on this album come together; the band’s acoustic-laden brand of pop is created in a rather spacious and almost atmospheric manner. Particles is a particularly good example of these elements in full force, as the song slowly sways and swaggers along care of a lightly strummed acoustic melody and a beautifully engaging pitter-patter drum-beat. Without It also implements these stylings, while incorporating female vocals in this instance to add a different perspective on the lyrical themes. Yes, I use female in a broader sense, as it is not clear on either the liner notes or the band’s website exactly who the central vocalists on this record are. But this ultimately becomes one of the album’s focal points in that the inclusion of group harmonies throughout the record help to enhance the main vocal output of each song, and make the sound become more of a collective effort.

The female-led tracks certainly provide the higher points on Sail Becomes A Kite, perhaps due to the fact that these vocal performances suit the band’s dreamy sound more accurately. It must be said however, that the predominately male-led songs add a different element to The Bank Holidays’ sound. Songs like Tripping Up To Fall In Love and Her Majesty’s Voice help to make the record that much more eclectic and diverse. Think Animal Collective doing the Beach Boys. It is hard not to draw a comparison to the seminal 70s surf-rockers, yet The Bank Holidays encapsulate this sound so well that they almost manage to make it their own.

Organic synth over-tones become more prevalent on the latter half of the album, as the album takes another turn and leans towards a more retrospective vision compared to the aforementioned rockier-type tracks. In The Desert is a slow-burner that displays a more thoughtful level of songwriting, while album closer Gravity’s Playthings is perhaps a more traditional folk song that could quite easily have come from one of your parents’ vintage record collections circa late 1960s. The sunny elements of the band’s sound genuinely return here, with a subtle vibraphone melody building into a massive chorus that sounds equal parts joyous and demanding, and makes it one of the standout tracks of the album.

Sail Becomes A Kite is no more spacious as it is engaging; no more retrospective as it is introspective; and overall, cleverly combines a variety of pop elements to create a sound that evokes images of running wild and being free. And although the band intended the record to sound more autumnal than their debut release, the summery influences are still here for all to see. A fantastic release from a band that is clearly moving forward with their sound and doing great things around the country. We will surely be hearing more from The Bank Holidays as the weather gets warmer, the nights get longer, and our worries disappear.

Otouto - Arty Folk

Melbourne 3-piece Otouto have managed to create a fresh-sounding release with their debut record entitled PIP. The trio, comprised of talented sisters Hazel and Martha Brown, and drummer extraordinaire Kishore Ryan (Kid Sam), make art-folk music that flows like a cool breeze in the summer. The combination of exquisitely plucked nylon strings, off-beat synths and Ryan's unique-sounding kitchenware drum set-up make for a compelling listen throughout. The lyrics on PIP are mostly drawn from small thoughts, phrases or observations that come together and somehow manage to hold meaning, thanks mostly to Hazel Brown's intricate vocal deivery. At times, the high notes that Brown inflects tend to reference artsts like Regina Spektor and Laura Marling, but with that little Australian insight to give the lyrics a more suburban feel. Standout tracks include Cartoon Shoes, Autumn, W. Hillier, and Sushi. The lyrical content on the latter has absolutely nothing to do with anything yet still sounds encapsulating ("I mistook a man eating sushi / For a man putting on a fake moustache").

Otouto have recently been booked for a long run of dates in the U.S. which is a sign of their blossoming success to date. The band could also be a goer for St Jeromes Laneway Festival next year on their homecoming. Get out and see this band when they do return; they are a delight.

HEALTH :: Disco2

HEALTH - USA Boys

Californian noise-rock act HEALTH are known for their experimental take on the electronic genre. Yet Disco2, a remix album of 2009 release Get Color, the music is far more refined and almost given a new element. The original workings of many of the band’s songs are more edgy and move from one thing to another very quickly. The group have proven in the past that they are willing to go out on a limb and produce tracks that lack any real formula, often employing minimalistic lyrical content and juxtaposing sounds that somehow manage to work well together. With Disco2, it appears that each individual remix has allowed the best elements of HEALTH’s music to come to the fore and create a collection of tracks that stand up in their own right.

The one noticeable theme evident in this collection of songs is the down-tempo nature of many of the tracks, in comparison to the more intense original versions provided on Get Color. Each remix seems to flow effortlessly and it is evident that each reworking has been considered with the aim of stripping back the HEALTH sound and showing it in a different light. UK act Crystal Castles, who have previously reworked Crimewave on the band’s last remix album, return to provide a new take on Eat Flesh. Unlike Crimewave, it is hard to find any sounds reminiscent of the Crystal Castles sound on this track, other than perhaps the droning, high-pitched vocal that remains constant throughout the song. This remix leaves in-tact the raw elements of HEALTH’s percussive backdrop, and is one of the only tracks on Disco2 to do so.

Other highlights on the album include Cfcf’s remix of Before Tigers, which implements electronic beats to slowly build the song along with a lounge-like glitch effect that carries the track gently along. The Small Black reworking of Severin is another song that manages to make the most of lead singer Jacob Duzsik’s subtle and encapsulating vocal, and implements many of the same aspects that feature on the most part of Disco2. Pictureplane’s remix of Die Slow would be a favourite for many indie DJ’s around Australia if they were aware of it, displaying the simple electro beat that many acts have recently produced, yet uses a symphonic-like synth melody to draw the listener in.

HEALTH have also produced one new track on Disco2 to keep fans pleased, with USA Boys introducing the album well. The electronic melody of this track is incredibly catchy, and the juxtaposition of heavy industrial-sounding position and sweet, drawn-out vocals make this a very satisfying injection of new material from the group. If this direction is to be taken into future recordings, then the band should continue receiving critical acclaim for their off-kilter works. Disco2 is certainly a fantastic initiation for new fans and a satisfying collection of tracks for the old followers in turn.