The Australian and now UK-based band return after 12 years, with singer Juanita Stein (who has since released four solo studio albums and is co-titled with the album) rejoins brother Joel Stein, and Glenn Moule, with solid, strong, resonant, shoegazey, grungey, indie rock. It’s their first LP since 2014's Heartstrings, and was recorded with long-time friend and collaborator and producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode, Elbow) at his Agricultural Audio Studios. Standout single and former Song of the Day Heavy Lifting is about hard work, time, distance travelled that helps builds resilience, strength and experience. Another highlight, the opener Unbroken is slower, a brooding, shoegazey, hazy anthem with dreamy, woozy, warm resonance: “Tonight I crashed another car / Then I tied a ribbon to the parts/ A signpost for the young at heart again. Angel is a swooning, waltz time dark, love song with rippling, swaggering guitar scream solo and another car reference: “You got paranoid when I started my first bandJust put the key in the ignition, let out a scream / Nothing could stop me except for low self-esteem.” Looking Glass also has a that shoegazy, dark, beautiful bruised, dreamy hue at a walking pace with keyboard arpeggios, and references the album title: “Strange life / Feels like / We're floating underneath a blood red sky.” In these last three tracks it sounds like the soundtrack to a David Lynch movie, until the pacy, raw, fierce, pumping riffs and rhythm, organ build and rage of Sacred Land, in which Stein particular shows her power and range: “Whеre is the light? / What becomes of the damned? / Who are buried in masses? / On this here sacred land?” Melbourne and Halfway Home are gentler, more wistful look to their old homeland: “I'm going back to Melbourne / I miss the smell of Eucalyptus trees/ And everybody's in a band / That sounds a bit like the Dirty Three.” Chimera is another bittersweet highlight with delicate guitar touches and a wash of sound to accompany a beautiful melody before the rocking Sweet Life and the rolling, fabulou swagger and personal mantra of closer Light Touch: “Don't you know / I'm here for the good stuff / Conversation and real love / I'm not here for the free booze / I just want the right to choose for myself.” A dreamy, rich, highly refined return by a band matured like a fine red wine. Out on Nude Records.
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