Innovative new indie label Sound of Melbourne Records, which was established by Liverpudlian Joe Grimes and is admirably dedicated to supporting and showcasing unsigned local artists, has positioned this interesting 15 track compilation as the first in a series of annual samplers. Guitarist, singer and songwriter Tash Parker, who has supported performers such as Clare Bowditch and Missy Higgins , opens proceedings with the melancholy yet catchy jazz-caressed folk pop of Not Unprepared which is also featured on her debut album Waking Up produced by J.Walker (Machine Translations) and Wally De Backer (Gotye).
Seven-piece band Autumn Gray, who formed in 2005 and have a live album, two EPs and a studio album under their belts, employ clever slow-burn tactics to build Love Handles from its gentle atmospheric opening sequence to a spiky guitar-driven conclusion. The reflective Missing Heart and the more up-tempo Bad Waters by the mysteriously monickered N/ght Y N/ght float upon chilled beats while Just Add Water by Brother Nature is a spectral slice of nocturnal electro pop. Dance Contest will have you straining your ears to tune into the intriguing spoken word tale of Deliverance that seems to drift elusively amidst the instrumentation. Frost’s Do It In Style is a sparky and jagged powerpop gem that sizzles with infectious guitar and bucketloads of melody.
Fitzroy-based quintet The Ocean Party have garnered praise from legendary hipster Dave Graney for their “songs with hooks and charm”, an apt description as they absolutely shine both lyrically and musically on the intelligent and memorable indie pop of Shakin Like A Leaf. The eccentric and left-field Sunset Blush showcases some mirth-inducing oddball lyrics on It’s Time To which features bizarre lines such as “Hugging strangers leads to wedding bells or sleeping with the fishes.” True enough! Wiley Red Fox puts in a haunting performance on the minimalist Nothing Like It and the spooky A Moment while Sinead’s Chain The Heart embraces a similarly low-key lo-fi approach. The imaginatively named Reece Dillon & The Jelly Babies whistle their way into the dreamy psych-folk of The Bandit, which is at times reminiscent of Tyrannosaurus Rex in their cross-legged and trippin’ pre-Glam era. The Bridges are sisters Grace and Thea, aged 16 and 14 and the acoustic Note To Self, their first recording, shimmers with wonderful, natural, unaffected crystalline vocal harmonies that are sure to make your spine tingle. Gerard Daley and The Rag Dolls roll out a big, beefy and buoyant wall-of-sound on the foot-stompin’ Butchers Blocks which boasts satisfyingly thunderous brass and a punchy production that fools the listener into thinking this is a live recording of a smokin’ band rather than an intricately devised studio project. On the evidence of these fifteen exciting tracks Sound of Melbourne and the artists that they champion clearly have a bright future!
BY GRAHAM BLACKLEY
Best Track: Note To Self THE BRIDGES
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Screaming At The Mirror (Volumes 1 and 2) VARIOUS ARTISTS
In A Word: Creative
