June 20 - Noteworthy New Releases
Our favourite releases of the week.
Hard Rubbish – ‘Distort It’
The bristling, plaintive ‘Distort It’ from icons Hard Rubbish fades in like the anxiety which precedes a monumental event, when there’s no way of telling whether triumph or tragedy lies on the other side. For fans of ever-influential songwriters like the late Jason Molina and David Berman, ‘Distort It’ exhibits impressive patience. This subversive piece centres around a droning violin and plodding drum pattern, and after the tension finally erupts into a tonally ambiguous squall of strings, we’re left in the same sombre place we began. It’s a sobering way to structure a song – one which signals a refusal to break harmful cycles of behaviour.
Sounds like: The horizon, spitting out a monolithic grey cloud.
By Jack Paech
Witch Spit – ‘Pissed ‘N’ Browsing’
“There is nothing worse than a closed pub.” – Judy Ashworth.
This ‘Beerological Mother’ is a pillar of pub society; Judy once owned California’s Lyons Brewery Depot, a legendary bar that embraced craft beer. One may wonder, though, what would be her favourite drinking song? Adelaide’s feral punk queens, Witch Spit, possibly have crafted that anthem. Enter ‘PISSED ‘N’ BROWSING’. There’s no guarantee that Judy has heard this bevvy belter, but this writer bets that on a shopping venture the line “we’re pissed ‘n’ browsing” would be her guidance. This is in matter-of-fact the infectious chorus sung by Paige Hollow with riot grrrl punk power. The pub’s closed? Never fear, Witch Spit have the solution.
Sounds like: The hit single from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s soundtrack.
By Will Oakeshott
Timberwolf – ‘Low Tide’
The first single from Christopher Panousakis – aka Timberwolf – since 2018, ‘Low Tide’ is the audio equivalent of a warm embrace from a close friend you’ve not seen in years. New yet comfortably familiar, it’s a track rooted in what the singer-songwriter labels “routine self-sabotage” and the strange comfort such behaviour brings. Backed by Ollie Thorpe and Harry Sutherland on pedal steel guitar and piano, it’s a melancholic piece of work driven by Panousakis’ warm vocals and a hint of clarinet. Though it remains to be seen whether ‘Low Tide’ is the first of plenty more music to come, the welcome return of one of SA’s favourite musical sons is one to be celebrated.
Sounds like: A comforting journey into warm nostalgia.
By Tyler Jenke
Ella Ion – ‘Creature SKin’
Ella Ion’s breakthrough new track, ‘Creature Skin’, is a clever yet knotty little song that seems to run away from her control in its final moments. Its central chord progression foreshadows this with some mischievous modal shifts that render Ion herself speechless, and the push-and-pull between vocalist and instrumental has a destabilising effect. This is (eventually) reflected in the lyrics. “Don’t hold me up to the light”, Ion sings at Creature Skin’s tempestuous climax, as if it’s already happened – as if the song itself is a blinding, fluorescent light in her eyes. Worry not, however, as the music and vocal dovetail together by the song’s coda, like two figures falling back into bed at the end of an impossibly long day.
Sounds like: Chasing a $100 bill down the street.
By Jack Paech
DIVEBAR YOUTH – ‘Perfume’
DIVEBAR YOUTH is one of those artists that’s hard to pin down. The alias of genre-bending producer, musician and visionary Vinnie Barbaro, DIVEBAR YOUTH consistently releases explorative, nostalgia-driven material that swirls through your consciousness like a glimmering kaleidoscope. Stirring up all the feels is his latest release, ‘perfume’: a hazy guitar kiss reminiscent of the Strokes’ First Impressions Of Earth era. Like most of his work, there’s a familiarity pressed in ‘perfume’. It’s akin to running into an old friend you haven’t seen in years and the conversation flows like you’ve been catching up on the regular. Heartwarming stuff.
Sounds like: Sunday pub chats.
By Tobias Handke
effie isobel – ‘Moon Made’
An anthem for those who feel the pull of the stars a little too hard, ‘Moon Made’ by effie isobel arrives just as the winter blues kick in. It’s no secret Adelaide’s dating scene is a little dry – Hinge can cause a spiral if you’re not careful – and it’s this pool of ‘unremarkable’ encounters the bubble-grunge artist pulls inspiration from. Dull conversations are swapped for a dreamland where desire is intoxicating and immediate. The result? A swirling, shimmering three-minute track that’s as witchy as it is whimsical, sweet as it is sour. There’s a gritty undercurrent to ‘Moon Made’ that makes the deep yearning and starry-eyed manifestation palpable – a thrumming energy that renders this dizzying single all the more addictive. Hit play whenever the mood strikes: first date or fourth, dancing with friends, or conjuring images of your one true love under the full moon.
Sounds like: The Two of Cups.
By Zara Richards
