Our latest reviews
El Camino by The Black Keys
Backing vocals and keyboards are not necessarily something I immediately associate with a Black Keys record. Admittedly, it took me a few listens to get past that and hear what they’re really doing. El Camino is possibly their most commercial-sounding…
Loom by Orbweavers
Melbourne band Orbweavers was formed in 2006, by Marita Dyson and Stuart Flanagan. Their new CD Loom follows the release of 2010’s Graphite & Diamonds. Loom sees the band continue to grow as songwriters and musicians; their sound is…
Mindset by The Necks
After more than 20 years improvising together, The Necks’ musical world of intuitive interaction and minimal, organic musical development continue to transfix this listener. Mindset, their sixteenth record, unveils two extended improvisations.
Unlike The Necks’ other albums, which usually…
Soul Time by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
This fifth release from Miss Jones, the First Lady of soul revivalism, is more than just soul. Okay, yes, it’s not a new album. In fact, it’s a collection of rarities previously only available as download tracks – but that…
Toumastin by Tamikrest
Tamikrest are one of the newer bands who play in the style tagged by westerners as ‘Desert Blues’ – and by ‘blues’, we mean what the songs are about rather than the actual sound of the music, which is mostly…
Lucy Wise and the B'Gollies
This is an extremely good debut from Lucy Wise. Lucy’s parents are well known on the Australian folk scene and her father is a renowned instrument builder. She has relocated from the Margaret River region in Western Australian and is…
Schubert: Schwangengesang
With two award-winningrecordings under their beltalready, Mark Padmore andPaul Lewis conclude theirSchubert song cycles withthe magnificentSchwanengesang. While listening to this, Iwas struck with the independence of eachmusician; while they dance around eachother musically, they keep separate identitiesthat evoke more than…
Mahler: Symphony No. 6, Pappano
$26.95Antonio Pappano applieshis considerable talent to abeautiful reading ofMahler’s Sixth Symphonyon this new recording fromEMI. This is the firstrecording of Mahler that Pappano has donewith his Roman orchestra. Whatever heconducts, Pappano brings something new tothe table. While it may not…
Haydn: Violin Concertos, Carmignola
Specialising in baroquemusic, Giuliano Carmignolahas won greatacclaim for his numerousrecordings on Archiv. Thistime, his period-sensitiveapproach is brought to bear on music ofthe early classical period – the violinconcertos of Haydn. These concertos,dating from the 1760s – relatively early inthe composer’s…
Havergal Brian: Symphony No. 1, The Gothic
On 17 July 2011, over 800performers gathered inLondon’s Royal AlbertHall to give a rare performanceof Havergal Brian’sSymphony No 1 in Dminor – The Gothic. And thanks to theforesight of Hyperion Records, those whocouldn’t attend are able to enjoy a stunningperformance…
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