Jehnny Beth – To Love Is To Live (Caroline Australia)
Responsible for delivering some of the most memorable art-punk in years with her band Savages, Jehnny Beth has finally released her debut album To Love Is To Live. Delving into sex, sin, gender identity and power, To Love Is To Live is speckled with keynote guests like The xx’s Romy Madley-Croft, Atticus Ross and Flood, creating a varied tracklist that ranges from chaotic industrial freakouts to tender piano ballads. At the centre of it all lays Jehnny Beth’s unmistakable vocals, with the French singer delivering some of the most passionate performances of her career across the album to make for a stunning debut release.
Gum – Out In The World (Spinning Top Music)
Jay Watson doubles down on his prolific reputation with Out In The World, the latest solo release under his Gum moniker. The Western Australian sensation, who also performs with Tame Impala and Pond, showcases his solo talents by balancing lush production with more ambitious songwriting for a paisley-tinged effort that toys with elements of jangly folk-rock and electronica. Tracks like ‘Weightless In LA’ and ‘Low To Low’ see Watson combine studio trickery with a cunning sense of creativity to make for some of his most engaging instrumentals to date, and his vocals across the album are more crisp and defined. Another solid effort from one of our scene’s strongest assets.
Spacey Jane – Sunlight (AWAL)
After experiencing a breakout year in 2019 that saw them become a main stage festival act in a manner of months, Fremantle indie rockers Spacey Jane have shared their first studio full-length Sunlight. The album sees the young four-piece deliver a debut that’s packed with exuberant energy and adolescent experiences, delving into themes of love and mental health in their typically upbeat lens. It’s a promising initial effort from Spacey Jane, who certainly have the potential for great things in the future if they keep up the passionate performances and hone in on shaping their songcraft.
Leah Senior – The Passing Scene (Flightless Records)
Hailing from rural Victoria, indie-folk singer-songwriter Leah Senior’s new album The Passing Scene is jam-packed with upbeat instrumentals and broad, philosophically trenched musings. Released on King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s label Flightless Records, The Passing Scene sees Senior embrace a more upbeat direction, imbuing her sound with spritely pianos and catchy melodies with a thematic embrace of the natural world helping to tie it all together. If you’re looking for something a little more soothing to temporarily escape the worries of the world, this one’s a premium choice.
Liam Gallagher – MTV Unplugged (Warner Music Australia)
When Oasis first performed on MTV Unplugged in 1995, frontman Liam Gallagher bailed sick on the occasion, instead choosing to watch the performance from a balcony, smoking cigarettes and heckling his brother Noel as he performed. Today, Liam Gallagher has released his own MTV Unplugged album, capitalising on his recent solo success in style as he reinterprets his two recent albums and a number of Oasis tracks on acoustic instruments. Bolstered by Liam’s unmistakable charisma and featuring a 24 piece orchestra and original Oasis guitarist Bonehead, MTV Unplugged proves to be an interesting, if non-essential, addition to Gallagher’s canon.
Honourable Mentions: Coriky – Coriky, E^ST – I’m Doing It, Golf Alpha Bravo – The Sundog.
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