If you looked back over our blog the last couple of years, you’d notice a pattern, an arrangement of names that pop up again and again. (No, not Matt and mine, we write here, duh.) There are some artists whose names keep popping up and that’s probably partly because we’re big fans of said artists but mostly because some artists just keep releasing incredible music. One of those artists is Ngaiire, who we first fell for with the release of her debut album Lamentations, in 2013. It seems like for-ev-ah since then, but any waiting was totally worth it with the release of ‘Once’; the first single from her next album Blastoma. This is the Ngaiire we have come to love, her vocal is perfectly perfect, smooth, strong and so exquisite while the instrumentation is delicately solid and effortlessly inviting. Co-written by Paul Mac and Megan Washington, as a blog writer I suppose it’s sorta professional to name drop but all of the talent here is Ngaiire’s own, it was her gift and vibe we fell in love with two years ago and it’s her that Matt and I are going to continue to love when she releases her second album sometime this year. I think I can speak for both of us (and I write here so I can, duh) when I say that release can’t come soon enough.
Jo Michelmore gives 'Once' four Beyonce heads out of five....
A year ago today I was sitting on a pebble beach in Brighton, watching the sun rise and listening to Little May's last single 'Dust' for the first time. It's crazy what can happen in a year. Even if you're in exactly the same place, you can't say there hasn't been a whole lot of change in your life and the lives of your friends and family, that guy at work you can't stand, the nice lady at the coffee shop or even the changes happening to the environment around you. Little May's Annie Hamilton, Hannah Field and Liz Drummond have had a busy twelve months. Since the release of their stellar self-titled debut EP they've been off around the world, touring North America and Europe and hitting up festivals like Bonnaroo and Hurricane Festival, with a Reading and Leeds debut to follow in August. Oh and they've been recording tracks for their debut album in New York with The National's Aaron Brooking Dessner on production duties. As you do. To think of the changes Little May have experienced over the past twelve months... crazy, right? If there's one thing that hasn't changed, it's the superb quality of their music and that brings us to the first taste of that previously mentioned debut album, 'Home'.
"Jet-setter, I think I'd better go, it's been five years waiting for the snow." Why hello, Hannah Field. How truly wonderful it is to hear your voice once more. The quiet intensity that permeates throughout the track begins its build from the beginning of 'Home'. It's in every deliberate drum beat and note from Drummond's guitar, the haunting effects created by the keys and Hamilton's electric lines and, of course, the captivating vocal performance from Field. In such a short career, Little May have become the absolute masters of the build up, adding subtle layer upon layer like no other. Drummond's guitar drives 'Home' into its second verse and you just know you're about to get some of those gorgeous Little May harmonies. When Hamilton and Drummond's voices enter alongside Field's you're doing a Liz Lemon and high-fiving a million angels. The repeated lines, "til we get, til we get home," bring the track to another stunning Little May conclusion. More and more sounds vie for your attention before it's all pulled away in an incredibly effective way, putting the focus entirely on Field's voice for one last perfect moment. Bravo. Don't knock the bravo. You'll be left a bit speechless at the end of the track too. And all you'll have to say is, "yeah, Bravo!"
It's safe to say that Little May have got this whole debut album thing covered. 'Home' is simply another outstanding addition to a collection of songs from these talented performers that I can't seem to get enough of. And I can't wait until they get home either, because seeing this one live and all the other tracks that are going to make up their debut LP is really going to be something else. If home is where your heart is, right now my heart's with Little May. It's a most excellent place to be.
Matt Bond gives 'Home' five Jay-Z heads out of five... (because of the 'Empire State of Mind' vibes from the video)
You know those moments that we’ve all had, the ones that side swipe you, leaving you unsure of what just happened and probably uncertain about where you’re heading, certain that things aren’t going to be the same as they were three minutes ago? It starts with an impressive ukulele, but even that wasn’t warning of what was about to happen. The threatening signs are there, a slow and steady caution, the gradual build of sounds that should tell you where you're going, but it's probably the vocal, the patient tones of James O’Brien that lulled me into a sense of security which all came crashing down a minute or so later and we arrive at some intense beats, some keys that have me on edge with every listen and the ever increasing but so enjoyable anxiety that ‘Ultimatum Talk’ creates. The debut single for Darling James is unnervingly fabulous, a journey that builds from comfortable to nervous to surprise to wow to comfortable again and it’s a journey I’ve been happy to take over and over again the last few weeks. Will hopefully take it again when they play Trainspotters in Brisbane on July 4 to launch the single, and looking forward to more moments like this as we discover more of Darling James.
Jo Michelmore gives ‘Ultimatum Talk’ three and a half Gotye heads out of five…
Without a hint of the artificial sweetness its title would suggest, Quintessential Doll's rework of 'Saccharine' is a little mysterious, a little dangerous and I can't get enough of it. Originally released on the 2014 EP, Let Not The Monsters Destroy Me, QD's Steph Linsdell has transformed the track to perfectly embody her self described brand of music, that being darkly whimsical folktronica. It leans much further into the electronic field this time around, with startling results. The heavy synth work and gorgeous cello lines (performed by Ruby Rose Hunter) elevate 'Saccharine' to another level, providing just the right foil for Linsdell's understated vocal performance and almost devastating lyrics. I'm sure there'll be many a listener working their way through the track thinking, "yep, been there... it sucked."
The track builds nicely to a bit of post-bridge breakdown that will have those dark electronic fans coming back for more. It definitely had me hooked. More of that please. The black and white clip was shot by Sophia Dique at Silvertail Studios. It's simple, but effective and compliments the song very well. Quintessential Doll comes across as a bit of a badass in the video and the same could be said for the song too. Another excellent addition to the discography of one of Brisbane's great underrated talents, who's on a roll in 2015. We're hoping to hear more soon.
Matt Bond gives 'Saccharine (Rework)' four Shirley Manson heads out of five...
