Shane Howard
Deeper South
Former Goanna front man Shane Howard, has returned with his latest solo project ‘Deeper South’. Since his departure from Goanna, Howard has used his 13 solo projects for more intimate, personal explorations of themata through music and lyrics. ‘Deeper South’ is an earnest investigation of heritage, which comes through loud and clear in the albums deft fusion of Irish, Celtic and indigenous sound. The all-acoustic album follows Howard closely though this discovery, from soulful ballads to energetic Irish jigs. – Leigh Hill
The Prodigy
The Day is My Enemy
Following on from their recent energetic appearance at Future Music, The Prodigy’s sixth album is a return to form. ‘Kicking off with the title track The Prodigy preset a dense complex sound that assaults your senses. Lead single ‘Nasty’ showcases Keith Flint’s legendary snarly vocals while ‘Ibiza’ featuring Sleaford Mods features a great cockney rap lyrics. Over 15 tracks The Prodigy present an unrelenting concoction of sounds that reminds of us of their ‘Fat of the Land’ heyday of two decades past.. – Graeme Watson
All We Are
Self-titled
All We Are, a three piece from Liverpool, have a particularly unique sound. Bordering on ambience, the album elevates their sound to another level, far beyond that of lounge listening. The album plays fluidly between tracks, though each track slowly introduces nuances that creep up on you; ‘I Wear You’ will have you tapping along to the beat before you’ve even noticed the hum of the track prior has slowly faded away. Slow, yet somehow upbeat – a wonderfully unique album.
– Leigh Hill
Courtney Barnett
Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit
Filled with endless catchy tunes, clever turns of phrases, stream of consciousness honesty and killer attitude, this is the album you’ll put in your car stereo and leave it there for months. Melbourne singer songwriter Barnett will have you hooked from the opening track ‘Elevator Operator’ to the album’s closer. On ‘Nobody Really Cares if You Go to the Party’ Barnett captures a dilemma we’ve all been though as she sings “I wanna go out but I wanna stay home”. At the end of the year when everyone lists their favourite records of the year this one’s guaranteed a spot. – Graeme Watson
The Avener
The Wanderings of The Avener
French DJ, songwriter and producer Avener stands tall amongst his fellow French lords of electronic music. Having penned tunes for Sophie Ellis-Bextor and having international #1’s with his single ‘Fade Out Lines’, ‘The Wanderings Of Avener’ is a culmination of his efforts. ‘Wanderings’ is an eclectic collection, featuring house, soul and blues tracks that all stand out as strong in their own genre, and as an LP. ‘Wanderings’ notably features Norwegian enchantress Ane Brun on his luminous track ‘To Let Myself Go’, and an exceptional remix of Mazzy Star’s cult hit, ‘Fade Into You’.– Leigh Hill
