Music Reviews

We valorise albums so much that sometimes we can fail to acknowledge the great singles released by artists. Here are a few recent favourites, released over the past couple of months.

The Melbourne band Good Morning have already followed up their brilliant 2021 record Barnyard with two singles, ‘Out to Pasture’ and ‘Misery’. The A-sides are a testament to what the band does so well: melancholic indie-rock fuelled by acidic honesty and humour.

In 2022, I didn’t expect the return of Frou Frou – the early noughties band of Imogen Heap and record producer Guy Sigsworth. But here they are with a new demo, ‘A New Kind of Love’, which sounds like the last 20 years of electronic pop hasn’t happened. It may feel a little out of step with current music, but it’s still a gem, full of crystalline vocals and twinkly synths.

In other duo news, Swedish rapper Yung Lean has paired up with FKA Twigs for the wonderful single ‘Bliss’, which also opens his latest mixtape Stardust. It’s a strange, unsteady number, with stomping bass, mumbled raps and ethereal vocals.

Lastly, one single I’ve been returning to all year is the dreamy ‘Billions’ by Caroline Polachek, which sees the pop singer go full Enya, exploring angels and closeness with sweeping pop vocals and dramatic, magical instrumentation, which even includes an outro comprised of a child’s choir. What more could you possibility want? IT

POLACHECK GOES THE FULL ENYA

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Melbourne’s Romero have released their long-anticipated debut record after impressing audiences with their live shows over the past three years, COVID permitting. A high-octane ride that teems with energy from the first guitar note, the band’s sound is reminiscent of classic 70s rock without sounding derivative, giving the genre a much-needed injection of new talent. Opening track ‘Talk About It’ sets a precedent for infectious hooks early, trumped only by the blistering ‘Halfway Out the Door’ for the strongest song on the record. Across the album, guitarists Adam Johnstone and Fergus Sinclair tread the line between melody and grit masterfully, often closing songs with soaring solos that feel as though the pair are pouring everything into their performance. But ultimately lead singer Alanna Oliver is Romero’s greatest asset, her powerful vocals possessing a distinctive soulful quality that is enthralling. Though Turn It On! is a thrilling listen, the similar arrangements across songs do push the album into repetition, suggesting a change in direction on future releases will keep the band sounding fresh. HOLLY PEREIRA

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Just shy of a decade after first releasing music under the moniker Harvey Sutherland, Melbourne producer Mike Katz arrives at his debut album Boy – a blend of idiosyncratic, playful funk, 00s indie synth-pop and dashes of tongue-in-cheek philosophy. There’s plenty of pondering to be had over the state of the world across the album, and the singles alone, such as ‘Jouissance’, ‘Age of Acceleration’ or ‘Angry Young Man’, can light up the synapses. But Katz knows that big ideas should give way to the funk of it all – nowhere is that clearer than ‘Feeling of Love’, a standout masterclass with vocals from US legend DāM-FunK about misinformation flaming hatred. Katz jokes that the album is “neurotic funk”: music made from overthinking, but made for succumbing to the desire to dance. It’s up to you whether you follow along with the former, but movement is inevitable. From the joyous sax solo on ‘Holding Pattern’ to the shimmering disco synths of ‘Slackers’, Boy is a fun, irreverent and danceable debut from start to finish. JARED RICHARDS

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On Budjerah’s excellent debut EP Conversations, the Coodjinburra singersongwriter is on his way to becoming this country’s most interesting R&B heartthrob. While never sounding dated, this is an EP that pledges allegiance to the tenets of the genre: dulcet harmonies, angelic female backing vocals, an overwhelming sense of yearning, and a smattering of funk-driven synths. Budjerah’s frankly incredible vocals anchor the record. Moving from honey-dipped tones to high-pitched wails with ease and precision, he really has an exceptional range. While the lyrical exploration of romance, relationships and loneliness can feel slightly derivative, there are enough wonderfully odd additions to keep things interesting. This is especially true for ‘This Is the Interlude’, a hazy, interstellar rap that shows Budjerah’s talents go beyond perfectly calibrated soulful pop. The EP’s seven tracks are stuffed with catchy hooks (‘My Name’, ‘Talk’, ‘What Should I Do’ and ‘Get Down’) that seem destined for radio