Angus & Julia Stone - Angus & Julia Stone
(Virgin/EMI Records)
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| Angus & Julia Stone |
This is a Rick Rubin produced
album and that very fact alone should be enough to spark some interest but the
fact that this is the latest offering from Australian duo Angus and Julia Stone
should also be worthy of attention on its own. Opening up with the laid back
and slightly sombre 'A Heartbreak', we are immediately transported in to a
world where everyone drives around in dusty leather jackets, cowboy boots and
dark glasses whatever time of day or night it is. 'My Word For It' has a disorientating,
warped guitar sound that suggests it was recorded under water while 'Grizzly Bear'
has a smoky, chilled out vibe that Sheryl Crow always strived for but never
quite achieved. On 'Heart Beats Slow' the
duo get their groove on with some light, scratch guitars and a bass that is
smoother than a wet otter on silk sheets. 'Wherever You Are' is a gently picked
acoustic melody while 'Get Home' has more punch in a 90s rock anthem kind of
way and 'Death Defying Acts' is pitched somewhere between a John Lennon penned Beatles
tune and a dimly lit Jazz club during the prohibition years with Julia's
emotionally fragile voice taking centre stage.
There are two distinct
personalities at play on this album, one hopeful and one despairing which is, I
suppose, how many of us approach the world on a daily basis if the truth be
known. The steady, relentless stomp of 'Little Whiskey' is perhaps the voice of
reason between the two extremes which is worrying for a tune named after
alcohol! 'From The Stalls' sees Julia's delicate voice calling us to shore
while 'Other Things' is a gentle, homely song that could be the Lemonheads with
guest vocals from Zooey Deschanel. 'Please
You' is a funky, swaggering piece of alt pop with some gorgeous percussion and
a bass line that moves through your ribs before 'Main Street' takes things to a
more reflective, introspective place full of darkness and shadows. Final track
'Crash And Burn' is a grunge'n'western tune with some downright dirty guitar
sounds and an attitude of "whatever" just dripping lazily from every
corner. There's no doubting that these guys are a genuinely talented pair and
this talent has been superbly brought to the fore by the talents of Rubin. A
match made in heaven but realised in LA.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/AngusAndJulia?ref=ts&fref=ts
Live Dates:
12th September -
Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
13th September - Lleyllyn Hall, Canberra
14th September - The Sydney Opera House, Sydney
15th September - The Sydney Opera House, Sydney
17th September - Civic Centre, Newcastle