Sunday, 28 July 2013

A trio of Aussie Reviews

I know it seems like its been a quiet month here at the Eclectik Electrik but that is far from true. I've been working on some stunning articles that will hopefully see the light of day at some point and looking to expand the focus of this blog. 

July has been fairly decent for new releases. In the line-up for this month I noticed that there were three high-profile new album released by Australian artists. What are the chances? Rather than bungle them in with a larger monthly wrap-up (which is coming by the way) I decided that my neighbours across the Tasman Sea deserved their own segment. Let's hear it for Kirin J Callinan, Ash Grunwald, and Karnivool!

- Prof Ric.


Kirin J Callinan – Embracism


Kirin J Callinan is a young Australian auteur who occupies the lunatic fringe of their music scene. He comes armed with his bizarre debut album, Embracism, and it is one of 2013's most challenging listening experiences so far. From front to back this is an album about confounding expectations. You are immediately struck by Callinan's unusual vocal style on 'Halo'; like an industrialized Bowie cyborg circling the Downwards Spiral. This nightmarish manifesto of dissonance and wounded machismo carries on through the confrontational title track and 'Come On USA' (which I suspect is a double entendre). If the opening trio of songs were so placed to introduce you to Callinan's primal scream. Then the next set will make you lower your defenses as you veer from the abrasive to the uplifting and romantic. These tracks are laced with pop and melody in the same way that Socrates' last call was laced with hemlock. The clarity of rock traditionalism pierces 'Chardonnay Sean' like a volley of arrows just before it gives way to visceral howlers like 'Way II War'. If by the end of Embracism you feel lost, isolated, and confused then I doubt you are alone - Callinan has made one hell of a debut album, one that defies all categorization and conventional logic. But having listened to it a few time now, if I was being perfectly honest, I'm still not sure whether I liked it or not. Must need a few more spins then, eh?

Rating: B
Recommended tracks: Way II War, Come On USA (although I would strongly recommend against listening to any of these songs out of context)


Ash Grunwald – Gargantua


One of the strongest retro revival genres in the South Pacific these days is that of dirty old blues rock. New Zealand and Australia are riddled with throwback guitar slingers with gruff voices and a Stevie Ray Vaughan complex. Ash Grunwald of Melbourne, Australia is one of the more prominent voices in this style and for a good reason. Over the past decade he has released no less than ten albums and has shown no signs of slowing down. His latest record goes by the weighty title of Gargantua and he has brought a couple of kindred spirits along for the ride. His usual rhythm section has been usurped by fellow Aussies Scott Owen (upright bass) and Andy Strachan (drums) from psychobilly act The Living End. The rock is chunky and gnarled and downright nastier than many who try their hand at it. Grunwald even has a go at outdoing himself by re-recording his own 2010 single 'Walking'. Amidst the set are some poignant covers including Gnarls Barkley's ever-popular 'Crazy'. These guys might not bring much new to the song but it feels like the sort of number that they have busted out in pubs for years at the crowd's request. This album is lean, mean, and focused as can be as the songs pile up thick and fast. Gargantua is an easy recommendation for fans of Clutch and The Black Keys.

Rating: B+
Recommended tracks: The Last Stand, Crazy


Karnivool – Asymmetry



Karnivool are a successful heavy metal band from Perth, Australia. They have supported major music acts both at home and overseas and have developed an intense following on the back of their small handful of albums and their numerous live performances. One interesting faculties of these songs is how disjointed they are. Practically nothing on Asymmetry follows a chorus/verse structure as rock albums have made us come to expect. Instead the tracks ramble restlessly from one idea to the next, a sonic fingerprint of their prog rock proclivities. It is disorienting but in a good way and it gives the album a relentless sense of momentum. After the intro track things start in earnest with the beat-tastic 'Nachash'. This segues and slithers into bull-in-the-china-shop rockers ('AM War'), notes of throat-shredding hardcore ('The Refusal'), and twinkling balladry ('Float') with no difficulty. Unfortunately I found that around the track-ten mark a kind of fatigue sets in. Asymmetry might have a good number of tricks up its sleeve but it barrels through them at such a rate that they lose much of their shock value and luster too early. This is still energetic and engaging music it is just lacking a little in the originality department. The record could perhaps have used a little more editing. This album, more so than their previous ones, is an earnest attempt to establish a formidable identity of their own. While I appreciate the effort made to stand out, singer Ian Kenny still sounds undeniably like Tool's Maynard James Keenan which hampers that effort somewhat. Karnivool clearly have passion to spare and they are on the cusp of greater things with Asymmetry.

Rating: B
Recommended tracks: AM War, Alpha Omega

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