Our latest reviews
Lunatic In My Head: Anjum Hasan
Set in 1990s Shillong, a north-eastern Indian town, high up in the mountains where it is either misty, wintery or rainy – or all three at once – Lunatic In My Head is a lyrical read that takes time to…
Started Early, Took My Dog: Kate Atkinson
Fans of tragi-comedic literary crime fiction rejoice, for Kate Atkinson’s fourth Jackson Brodie novel has arrived. This time, the ex-private detective is a little leaner and meaner, and has discovered Emily Dickinson (hence the book’s title). And he’s back in…
Teenage Dream: Katy Perry
This sophomore album really hits the pop spot! After much success with her first album, One of the Boys, it was always going to be interesting to see if Perry could do it all over again. And much to…
God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise: Ray Lamontagne
I can’t think of an artist I eagerly anticipate a new album from more than I do from Ray Lamontagne. He is my favourite artist of the noughties. His second album Till the Sun Turns Black is my album of…
Mendelssohn Cello: Zoe Knighton & Farid Amir
Gentle and eloquent melodies are the feature in Zoe Knighton and Amir Farid’s new recording through Move Records. Featuring the cello works of Felix Mendelssohn, it highlights the exquisite musicianship of these two respected Melbourne musicians.
Included are the two…
Le Concert Spirituel Au Temps De Louis XV: Jordi Savall & Le Concert Des Nations
Here we are, barely halfway through the year, and we have another new release from Jordi Savall. Le Concert Spirituel was a series of performances (beginning in Paris in 1725, ending in 1790) to provide entertainment during Lent and on…
Souvenirs Of Russia: The Czar's Guitars
John Schneiderman and Oleg Timofeyev (aka The Czar’s Guitars) have joined together to champion the Russian guitar, hoping to garner it the respect and recognition it deserves. At the centre of this recording is Fernando Sor’s magnificent Souvenir de Russie.
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How Did You Get This Number: Sloane Crosley
I absolutely loved Sloane Crosley’s debut collection of humorous essays, I Was Told There’d Be Cake – and I wasn’t alone. Not only did she get rave reviews from the likes of Jonathan Lethem and David Sedaris (who suggests you…
The Midnight Zoo: Sonya Hartnett
Two young Romany gypsy brothers, escaping war, find themselves in a zoo, at night, amid a war-ravaged village. The starving, woebegone animals tell the boys what has happened, and as the moon shines down on these motley survivors, their stories…
The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane: C.M. Millen & Andrea Wisnewski
This beautiful picture book, illustrated from paper-cut prints and watercolours, is a celebration of Medieval Celtic illumination.
A young monk, Theophane, is sometimes restless during the long days bent over his work, and loves above all to be out walking…