Our latest reviews

Low Country Blues by Gregg Allman

Reviewed by Paul Barr

Produced by T-Bone Burnett, the man who specialises in getting former rock stars like Robert Plant to reclaim their roots mojo, this album is a very solid return to form for one of the great white blues singers. Allman, along…

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Mission Bell by Amos Lee

Reviewed by Alice Bisits, Readings Hawthorn

The fourth album for Amos Lee is a tasteful mix of moody ballads and seductive timbres. Mission Bell is quite a spiritual album; it conjures images of a person’s search for redemption. Yet there is a good balance of soul…

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Small Source of Comfort by Bruce Cockburn

Reviewed by Michael Awosoga-Samuel, Readings Carlton

The great Canadian guitarist returns after 2009’s live release, Slice of Life. Small Source of Comfort is a beautifully crafted collection of songs, with some instrumental tracks that highlight Cockburn’s deft touch. This time around, Cockburn is recording with…

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Team by Holly Throsby

Reviewed by Miranda La Fleur, Readings St Kilda

After recently releasing See!, a collection of children’s songs, Throsby has returned to her roots to create a new album with long-time friend and producer Tony Dupé.

Recorded in a nineteenth-century Methodist church in the Southern Highlands of New…

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We're New Here by Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX

Reviewed by Melissa Whebell, Readings Hawthorn

Okay. Firstly, I’ve been a pretty big fan of Gil for years. Secondly, I tend to be sceptical at best of remix albums, which could come down to my own musical snobbery. However, Jamie XX’s treatment of Gil’s 2010 record…

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Demons by Cowboy Junkies

Reviewed by Miranda La Fleur, Readings St Kilda

Demons is the second volume of the Cowboy Junkies’s four-part ‘Nomad’ series, with their first volume, Remnin Park, released eight months ago. Having planned to create a collaborative album with their long-time folk artist friend Vic Chesnutt, the project…

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Temptation by The Waifs

Reviewed by Dave Clarke, Readings Carlton

The Waifs have come a long way from their humble beginnings in the early 1990s. From busking at Fremantle markets to selling their first few albums on consignment (dealing with hundreds of local shops around Australia), they have always done…

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Batavia by Peter FitzSimons

Reviewed by Peter Gordon

This book is an exciting read for those interested in European maritime or early Australian history.In the early 17th Century the Dutch had largely cornered the European market in spices by the establishment of colonial outposts in the Spice Islands…

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Black Glass by Meg Mundell

Reviewed by Gerard Elson, Readings St Kilda

It’s Melbourne, but not quite as we know it, that’s the setting for this impressive debut from former journo, ex-ventriloquist’s assistant, current academic Meg Mundell.

We’re not sure of the year in which Black Glass is set, though Mundell parcels…

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This Too Shall Pass by S.J. Finn

Reviewed by Annie Condon

S.J. Finn’s debut novel focuses on a woman experiencing massive change in both her home and work life. It’s a timely exploration of the roles women play in each domain, and how motherhood impacts onidentity and career.

At age 33…

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