“When I was 17/ My mother could not handle me/ And she called for help/ But no one came/ And nothing worked/ And nothing changed...” – opener Teenager Again, which channels PJ Harvey, drip-feeds intimate emotional detail; an immersive, suspenseful listening experience.
The chorus from Touch by Noiseworks (“Reach out and touch somebody”) is sung within this song to recreate a post-reiki workshop singalong (which we’re definitely not mad about) and Laura Jean finally gives herself a modicum of credit (“I grew up to be somebody”) in the final verse.
Self-described by Jean as “the tragicomedy of being a 40-year-old songwriter in Australia”, Amateurs also explores “anti-art and anti-intellectual culture” on a global scale. And bravo to Erkki Veltheim (Gurrumul, Archie Roach)! His elegant string arrangements elevate the entirety of Amateurs; particularly the spectacular title track, which features chorus lyrics that encapsulate this album’s overarching theme: “Amateurs never made a cent from love.”
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Market On The Sand – with its divine use of wistful, lilting piano and minor keys – deals an evocative memory featuring supportive words from her mother (who had dreams of being a musical theatre star before becoming a nurse): “I weave through the traffic holding my mother’s hand/ ‘That thing you do darling, for fun/ Why don’t you turn it into a second income?/ You’re worth it, you deserve as much as anyone/ Don’t give yourself away for nothing’.”
Are unfulfilled dreams passed down genetically? During ‘Rock’n’Roll Holiday’, Jean sings, “All my grandma wanted to do was dance/ And I’m the flower at the end of the branch.”
Urgent piano stabs and pizzicato violin evoke overwhelm during Too Much To Do: “I’ve got too much to do/ Too much to prove…” – we’re already super-satisfied with what turns out to be this standout track’s intro. Then the funktastic rhythm section sneakily drops in – just beyond the one-and-a-half-minute mark – and we’re catapulted from our chairs for a grinning bop-along, relishing the Lady – Hear Me Tonight vibes.
Individual songs contain artistic epiphanies; Jean documenting pivotal moments in her evolution as an artist. Closer Something To Look Forward To Forever sees Jean mourning the loss of her idealistic view of her future: “I want something to look forward to forever/ That’s what magic is/ Something to look forward to forever/ And never ever getting it.”
A self-described “overachiever in spirit” and “underachiever in practice”, Jean revealed of the inspiration behind her best set yet: “These songs arise from my acceptance that I will always be an ‘amateur’.” Jean’s talent is immense. Amateurs is a masterpiece.
Label: Chapter/Inertia
Release date: 4 November
