D. Rogers possesses a penchant for endearingly observant prose. Unpretentious, self-deprecating and inconspicuously charming, the Melbourne singer-songwriter’s gentle folk styling revels in quietly poignant stories lined in affecting honesty and a homely intimacy.
D. Rogers possesses a penchant for endearingly observant prose. Unpretentious, self-deprecating and inconspicuously charming, the Melbourne singer-songwriter’s gentle folk styling revels in quietly poignant stories lined in affecting honesty and a homely intimacy. Proving that album titles can rarely be taken at face value, Rogers’ fourth album, Natural Disasters, is not a reference to the disturbing increase of natural catastrophes, but the constant battle against the routine and mundane characteristics of modern day existence. Opening song Not Correct intertwines varying narratives superbly, detailing the anxious individual who’s “drunk at the award ceremony / staring at the glittering prize”; the real or imagined “people in the windows … on the attack” and the underappreciated whose “hands are sore and eyes are bloodshot”.
Following Not Correct and the harmonious pop of Westgarth Talking are the mournful lament of Pay To Pay and the rustic folk ditty, Breaking Bones. In Pay To Pay, Rogers delivers an aching vocal atop a richly textured arrangement comprising gloomy keys, strings, woodwind, vibraphone and militaristic percussion. Going Through The Motions’ infectious chorus cry of “frustration stems from a million tiny explosions / it’s that worn-out look, you’re going through the motions” lightens its forlorn, albeit entrancingly groove-laden, verses. Amy Bennett’s beautiful viola playing compliments several songs including the gorgeous ballad I’d Cave, while the upbeat and sprightly melody of Your Heart’s An Only Child exhibits a burst of surprising swagger.
This Part Of Town is the album’s defining moment: warmly caressing, personable and engaging, it closes with choral harmonies from The Town Singers, featuring Ben Birchall, Georgia Fields, Glenn Arnup, Dave McGann and Bill Kyriakopoulos. Mastered by Nao Anzai (Laura, Because Of Ghosts, Princess One Point Five), Natural Disasters also features backing vocals/guitar from Emma Heeney (Gorgeous) and percussion from Dave Kleynjans (Knieval, Groundswell). Rogers invites the listener into an intimate sanctum of relatable characters and softly enveloping folk-pop; the brevity of his songs is only a slight qualm as it’s more often a distinctive charm. With its affecting narratives, warm production and persistently shifting tones, Natural Disasters rewards and assures listeners of the beauty and vitality that continues to flourish amidst societal dreariness.
Best Track: This Part Of Town
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: I Will Love You At All DARREN HANLON, Georgia Fields GEORGIA FIELDS.
In A Word: Contemplative
Label : Popboomerang/MGM
