Turin Brakes - The Optimist LP

MINE

Sometimes my husband and I differ on things.  No, really!  And one of these things is kind of good for me, but it also annoys me.  You see, while to most people my music collection (before YourZ) seemed wide and varied, his was and is truly huge.  A large part of that is because... how do I put this nicely... he sometimes has a bit of a short attention span.

Which means sometimes he doesn't want to play the old faithful numbers.  There's this new band or artist he's bought, and he knows I'll really love it, and the annoying thing is he's usually right, but then sometimes I think he just doesn't get the fact that some days I want to listen to the album I know I'm going to love.

Which is The Optimist.  Top to tail, beginning to end, beautiful, layered, brilliantly produced, those edgy yet sweet voices, this album is one our collection will never be without.  It's the album I want to play on this first night we move into our new home, up on a hill in a tropical town in Queensland, looking out over the dark and lush vegetation with the lights twinkling in the distance.  It's yet another album I have to thank YourZ for... and for that reason I can never be too annoyed with him when he wants me to listen to something new.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

This is one of Mine's choices but if she hadn't chosen it, I would have (in fact, I deliberately left it from my five because I knew she would end up picking it).  (Mine says: well aren't you the clever clogs then!)  I don't have any fancy story about how I came to hear Turin Brakes.  But every so often, a piece of music comes into your life that is so clearly meant for you, it is a wonder it isn't simply gift-wrapped with your name on it.  Turin Brakes, for me, is one such band.

Some years ago now, musical friends and I would regularly gather in the back room of a house I shared with an ex-girlfriend (hi Maz).  This room was off the kitchen, so close to all the things a bunch of musicians would need: a kettle, coffee and tea fixings and a fridge for alcohol.  We'd start with rounds of coffee and cigarettes, warming up our fingers on tunes we all knew.  I'd set up a few microphones and maybe get the recording equipment ready to make a rough of the proceedings.  We'd move on to beer or vodka as the day wore one, getting looser and louder and having a ball.   

Lots of music inspired us then.  Some of the names you'd recognise (David Bowie, Beck, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin) and some were new to most of us.  Turin Brakes, and The Optimist LP particularly, were one such band.  Their acoustic-driven, harmony-laden tracks had us singing along at the tops of our voices, long after we'd put down our instruments and started on the second case of beer.  And while we never went much further than that room, we were the best band in the world for a little while there.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For further information go to http://www.turinbrakes.com/

Augie March - Moo, You Bloody Choir

YOURZ

I originally bought Moo, You Bloody Choir after hearing a live performance of the first track, One Crowded Hour, on the show RocKwiz.  I was stunned by the intelligence of the lyrics and the beauty and simplicity of the melody.

I'm not much on hype, as regular readers might be aware of by now.  And Augie March were, at one time, hyped up by Australian music press, particularly, like they were saviours of some sort. 

The fact is this band is worthy of any hype, writing literate, contemporary indie pop.  Ostensibly a  vehicle of singer/songwriter Glenn Richards, Augie March have slowly yet surprisingly wended their way into the consciousness of the Australian public, who, while discerning, don't usually take to such intelligence without taking the piss out it as well.

Augie March sit somewhere between the deliberate provocativeness of Bob Dylan and the lush beauty of Jeff Buckley.  Richard's voice effortlessly moves between these territories, both captivating and inspiring listeners, while the rest of the band provide worthy accompaniement for his melodies.  From the previously mentioned opener to the slow, almost sensual The Honey Month and the alt-country The Baron Of Sentiment, Augie March are a heck of a ride and well worth taking.  Just beautiful...

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

It's beautifully put-together pop music that seems to be vaguely flavoured with hints of other styles, other eras.  Much like the fresh air of our backyard in the morning when it's occasionally faintly flavoured with aviation fuel (what you get for living near the airport).  I'm still not sure who Glenn Richards' voice reminds me of.  One minute it's got the raw honesty of Bruce Springsteen, the next there's that almost-falsetto that could lead to Bon Iver comparisons.  There's a flutter and a yaw in it, like a small boat tacking on a large lake.  Some songs are sparse, some lush, at least one would have been at home in the 60s.  Taking bennies and hanging out with Twiggy-60s, not the patchouli-flavoured LSD rocker-type-60s.

What this album is, is unmissable.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.augiemarch.com/

Elliott Smith - Figure 8

YOURZ

Listening to Elliott Smith is painful - not because he writes beautiful music, rich with melody and harmony, but because he's no longer around to write and record more.  His death, reported to be a suicide, is still surrounded in mystery, so much so, that I'm sure the truth will never fully be known.  Regardless, it's a tragic waste of a great talent.

As Mine acknowledges below, Elliott was introduced to us by a friend and has become a firm favourite in our house.  From A Basement On A Hill, his posthumous release, is probably my favourite but by a very small margin.  As with this, both Figure 8 and XO are absolute treasures, full of gorgeous, often sad songs and layered with Smith's resonant harmonies.  They truly are a listening pleasure.

On Figure 8, Elliott moves from piano-driven songs to quiet, solo numbers to full band tracks.  The continuity is his voice and arrangements, which I'm sure every sad-eyed boy with a guitar would love to emulate but very, very few have succeeded.  But he does this so effortlessly, I can't help but be somewhat envious of the depth of his talent. 

We've spent many early mornings, after rowdier nights, being drawn up and away to Elliott's tunes.  In fact, I can't imagine better music to accompany the sun coming up after a long night than his. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Just how many sad, dead, gorgeous guitarists do we have in our collection, anyway?  Along with Mr Smith I can count Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake...  and all of them have their moments.  (YourZ sez: well, there's also Marc Bolan, David McComb, Kurt Cobain and Brad Nowell - these are all I can think of but I'm sure there are more...)

YourZ and Mine(self) were introduced to Elliott by a friend (hi, Dave!) who left us with a bootleg copy of XO.  Much playing later we swapped that for a real version and have been buying up his back catalogue ever since.  Or at least YourZ has because frankly, he's the one who brings the most music into the house, and I'm the one who (mostly) enjoys the consequences.  That's just the way it is.  It's kind of like, I'm the one who brings the most cookbooks into the house, and he's the one who (mostly) enjoys the consequences.

Where was I?  Ah yes, Mr Smith.  I'm really sorry he's dead.  It was like reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and then learning the author was dead (damn!) and then learning he wrote two more books (hooray!) and then learning he planned to write TEN in the series (double damn!)  Loving XO led us on to loving Figure 8 and From a Basement on a Hill and do we have Roman Candle?  But however many albums of his we discover, nothing makes up for the fact that this amazing talent left this earth way, way too soon.

Side note:  this and the other CDs are probably NOT albums to play in the car, as the music is often so beautiful you just want to close your eyes.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP get comfy and dream a little

For more information: http://www.sweetadeline.net/

In our collection, we also have:  XO and From a Basement on a Hill

Jeff Buckley - Grace (Legacy Edition)

YOURZ

Oh fuck, where do I start?  There has been so much written about Jeff Buckley, so many emotional platitudes, it would seem almost redundant for me to add my own to the myriad voices.

So I guess I should start by admitting a stupid mistake and quite possibly one of the few musical regrets I have (I'm generally of the belief that regret is just another hangover of my long-abandoned Catholic upbringing so I try to have a few as possible).

As I've previously mentioned, I have worked for various music publications (read: street press) over the years.  In this capacity, I have interviewed and reviewed many artists.  The benefits for doing this have been free music, names on guest lists and passes into lots of sold out shows and occasionally getting to talk to a cool creative person.

While I never spoke to Jeff Buckley, I did receive a call to review a gig on what would be his last tour of Australia.  Of course, I jumped at the chance.  But, as events conspired against me, I had to abandon my tickets to a lesser mortal in favour of staying home and nursing a sick girlfriend (yeah, I know, I'm soft like this). (Mine says: thank goodness it wasn't ME folks!)  Of course, the rest is a tragic story of yet another incredible talent taken before he even got properly started and yet another on the list of could have seen but didn't, damn it!

When ever I think about this, that little pang I have worked so hard to suppress grabs my testicles and gives them a good shake.  (I'm kind of sorry for putting that picture in your head but also kinda not hahahaha...)  At least I got to see Nirvana.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

This is actually one of the occasions where I've behaved kind of like YourZ.  When he and all his friends told me I'd LOVE Jeff Buckley, I was a little "well how do you know that?" about it.  But it's obvious - the man had so much talent I defy anyone to be "meh" about him.

My husband's mate Dave (hi Dave!) tells the best story about his Buckley obsession.  When he was living in Melbourne, he lived in a block of flats and played this album over and over again.  I guess it was part of his musical therapy after a break-up.  Anyway, the playing got to be a bit much for one of the other residents, who sent him a note headed: Dear Jeff Buckley Fan and begging him to play something - ANYthing else for a while, even though the music was gorgeous. (YourZ sez: oh, I'd forgotten about that story - good one, hon.  It still makes me smile)

I can understand why anyone would feel this way about him - after having the obligatory listen to Grace before writing this review, I loved it so much I started at the beginning and went through it again.  It's so beautiful...

I've just had an "Of course" moment about Lilac Wine - after asking YourZ if it's a Trad. Arr. song he wasn't sure, but now Mr Google's told me where I've heard it before - one of my friends was a mad Elkie Brooks fan and it's one of her hits!

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (again and again and again)

For more information: http://www.jeffbuckley.com/

In our collection we also have: Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk, Live at the Olympia, and another copy of Grace because it contains a bonus Australian tour EP.