July 2023 - Noteworthy New Releases
Our favourite releases of the month.
Placement – ‘New Disease’
It’s been nearly two years since post-punk outfit Placement dropped their three-track powerhouse ‘Lost Sun’. With a busy touring schedule and a slew of festival dates, we can’t blame them for the wait for new tunes, but we’re glad it’s over. ‘New Disease’ sees the five-piece exploring territory reminiscent of their first single ‘Harder’ - spoken word verses, melodic choruses and jarring noise.
Lyrically, the track deals with the pandemic – particularly its impact on those in the music community. Malia Wearn’s laconic vocal delivery perfectly captures the frustrated boredom of isolation as she deadpans the lines: “Forgot how to talk, out of work / Now you’ve lost your self-worth”.
‘New Disease’ truly shines when it picks up energy at half-time, with steady guitars and layered vocals building their way into a noise break. Saxophone enters into what feels like conversation with a squealing, dissonant guitar solo, before the song unwinds into an eerie outro. The overall effect is one of unease, tension and release – an appropriate reflection of a time in history we won’t soon forget.
Sounds like: The listlessness and erratic energy bursts of your second iso stint.
Words Timothea Moylan
State Library – ‘Breaking Off’
“Retracing all my tracks…” – Nick Caruso
These lyrics of Mr Caruso and State Library in their eccentric new single have hidden meaning. To ‘retrace’ as per definition is ‘to go back over’. But what exactly is this Adelaide indie folk quintet going back over?
A sense of vintage Brit-pop is uncovered with ‘Breaking Off’. It’s a throwback to the magical time of The Bluetones blended with the more modern Stornoway but with a better narrative. How so? It’s the visual aspect one can imagine while listening to this joyful jangly folk rock – a summer, a friendship, any memory that’s everlasting… Incredibly, this is what the song does. It makes you retrace your tracks.
The pleasant surprise comes with a slight twist. There’s a flickering of the wonderful Wil Wagner and majestic Jen Buxton evident in the storytelling and Australian vocal delivery. The real victory however, occurs at the two-third mark of the exploration - a math rock and folk punk fusion that calls upon the criminally underrated Seahorse Divorce. So State Library are retracing steps we’re familiar with, but they’re ‘Breaking Off’ into their own persona.
Sounds like: Wil Wagner doing an exceptional cover version of Blur’s ‘The Great Escape’.
Words Will Oakeshott
Tell Mama – ‘Honey’
Tell Mama have been captivating live audiences with their smooth brand of neo-soul for a couple of years, with just one release under their belt until now. Their second single ‘Honey’ takes listeners on a groovy, swirling journey that sounds fresh and familiar all at once. It’s typical of the band’s ability to harness the character of old-school soul alongside something more contemporary.
The track is driven by Grace Mensforth’s polished vocals, delivered with a delicate balance of strength, elegance and seductiveness. A clean guitar solo cuts through – tasteful and avoiding self-indulgence – popping jazzily along before blending back into the instrumentation.
While ‘Honey’ doesn’t reach any dizzying heights, it’s so bloody nice to listen to that it’s hard to fault. Give it a turn while getting ready for a night out, or while making yourself a cup of coffee on a cool Sunday morning - it won’t go astray.
Sounds like: The song the live band plays at your classy friend’s backyard wedding, just as the sun is setting.
Words Timothea Moylan
Nonnie – ‘Choice Words’
“You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you” — Dan Millman
Easier said than done, right? Undoubtedly the American author and lecturer in personal development delivers an insight to help when our minds spiral with countless different thoughts, but unfortunately, Mr Millman doesn’t provide a method…
Lilly Peterson has a rather invaluable technique to combat those introspections, using song. Nonnie is just one of Lilly’s projects (Veal The Music is another worthy of attention), but with ‘Choice Words’, the distorted mind ramblings of the musician’s genius come to fruition as alternative rock art.
Combining the jarring punk urgency of ARXX with the infectious melodies of Oleander and a lo-fi production, it’s an anthem for a brain puzzle. Confused? We all are with the current state of life, but Lilly just found a flawless way to acknowledge overthought: “Choice words can make or break me” she repeats harmoniously, screaming the lyric at the climactic finish.
Maybe that’s the self-affirmation to control one’s thoughts? Better yet, sing and spiral along. It’s what the single triggers.
Sounds like: Taking Back Sunday’s ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ coated with Brighton’s Black Honey.
Words Will Oakeshott
Ethanol Blend – ‘Hayfever / What’s in my Head?
Beloved south coast indie rockers Ethanol Blend are back with a catchy double single, and when the delivery is this good (in the words of everyone’s favourite taco commercial), “Porque no los dos?”
The first offering is ‘Hayfever’, opening with a chorus-y riff that conjures up the flannies and Doc Martens of the Seattle grunge era. The track is punchy, characterised by chunky guitar, driving bass and raw vocal delivery.
‘What’s In My Head?’ feels more introspective, complementing the harder edges of ‘Hayfever’. With its reverb-laden backup vocals and anthemic chorus, the track evokes a warmth that feels at odds with anxiety-tinged lyrics like “Are you really there? Are you there for me?”.
It’s an emotive and hard-hitting release from the four-piece, which sees them pushing the boundaries of their shimmering, nostalgic brand of indie rock.
Sounds like: Sitting round the fire on a winter camping trip.
Words Timothea Moylan
Leni – ‘What’s On Your Mind?’
A remarkable characteristic of music is its ability to change your very being. Emotional transformations, imaginative escapism – you can even experience a sensory overload where sight, scent and taste are altered by sound. It’s quite the phenomena.
Adelaide-based Indigenous Chilean-Australian artist Leni’s new single is entitled ‘What’s On Your Mind’. And upon listening to the funk pop tune, the overload on the five senses is duly delivered...
One can hear the soothing dynamic mix of Soul-RnB-Pop with jazz flirtations and Gary Clark Jr guitar essence (the solo at the near halfway point is breathtaking). One can feel the dreamy atmosphere of Tame Impala’s album, Lonerism. Sight? Perhaps in a live setting, a gentle hypnotic sway of an adoring audience being lost in the same moment as the musicians.
Taste and smell? For this writer, the track oozes the sophistication of a Träkál cocktail, a brandy-gin hybrid distilled with Patagonian herbs and berries - that would be a flavour of paradise. The aroma simply speaks for itself.
“Why don’t you say what’s on your mind?” Leni Garrido asks in his stunning song. This scribe’s answer: “soulful bliss.”
Sounds like: The XX, Lianne La Havas and Aloe Blacc having a cocktail party.
Words Will Oakeshott
Loopole – ‘Candles’
‘Candles’ is the first single Loopole has released this year (out July 28), with promises that the new track will be the first of many. Clocking in at just over three and a half minutes, the new song digs deeper into the alt-rock genre the five-piece seeks to occupy. Unlike their sunny disposition on their last successful single, ‘State of Mind’ (and much of their back catalogue), ‘Candles’ is born from a moodier mindset.
An unnerving energy arrives from the opening guitar chords and that intensity only builds by the relentless pace of Seb Reichelt’s drumming. Lyrically, frontman Nick Edson struggles with how he’s perceived by others and living up to their expectations. This message manifests in Edson’s performance of heavy-hitting opening vocals: ‘Made myself seem like the bad guy / Never my intention’ and his musically monotone sound carries throughout. However, repetitive instrumentation never feels overdone. Instead, it simply sharpens the songs.
‘Candles’ is an exciting new chapter for the band, who welcomed the addition of guitarist Finn Wallbridge late last year. There’s a serious build on the surf-stamped rock songs we’ve come to know and love – a progression that only comes from the guys unearthing what music they gravitate to the most. Diversity in sound is their strong suit. Bring on the remainder of 2023.
Sounds like: Angst.
Words Zara Richards
