Enabling Young Women Program – Barwon

A leadership program for any stage of your leadership journey focusing on confidence, rights, and speaking up.

The program is open to Women and non-binary youth (18–25 years), who identify as someone:

• With a disability (Physical, sensory, intellectual, cognitive, etc.)

• Deaf / deaf / hard of hearing

• Who lives with chronic illness, and / or pain

• Who is neurodiverse e.g. autistic

• Who lives with mental health challenges

For more information:

BIG WORDS Nightmares of a Stardom Dream

Æ Ghostface Killah did some pretty cool things on Wu-Tang’s 2016 tour of Australia. Having previously picked wheelchair tennis star Dylan Alcott from the crowd at Meredith 2014 to come on stage and perform Method Man’s verse in ‘Protect Ya Neck’, he got the tennis superstar out to reprise his role as a guest feature. He also did something a little bit different for the group’s encore. Coming back on stage after a blistering one-hour set, he proudly introduced a busker who he had encountered on the streets of Melbourne that day, who then brought in the group’s encore with a freestyle of their own.

Little did we know at the time, but both of those surprising guest vocalists would go on to achieve some pretty amazing feats over the coming few years. Alcott, as many of you know, went on to win 2022’s Australian of the Year, while Kieren Lee, the rouge busker who performed to 7000 die-hard Wu-Tang fans, would end up fronting one of Melbourne’s most hyped alt-R&B outfits Big Words.

Eight years later, Big Words - comprising multi-instrumentalists Lee and Will Scullin and drummer Teon Catalano - are finally dropping their highly anticipated debut Nightmares of a Stardom Dream, and while it may have seemed like a long time coming, it’s one that’s well worth the wait.

Surprisingly, it’s not even a rap album. Instead, Nightmares of a Stardom Dream cuts its teeth somewhere between the atmospheric soundscapes of English new-wave electronica act Groove Armada and the swooning vocal ranges of Steve Lacy and James Blake.

‘Tell Me That You Love Me’ bares itself as a remarkable opener, coming in with the power that many would reserve for an album’s closing moments in its opening few seconds. With a carousel sensibility to its lofi tempos, it’s an opener that’ll immediately grab your attention.

It’s all the more surprising when the alt-country, America-inspired ‘Scared To Death’ comes in as a follower. But, it’s also a moment that ushers in the myriad of different genres that Big Words will go on to toy with for the rest of their debut.

‘Speed Racer’ merges heavy dub beats with distorted high-pitched vocals; ‘Summer Never Felt This Sad’ methodically adds industrially tinged percussion alongside Lee’s soaring groans, channelling elements of early Radiohead; while ‘Starlight’ plays with spacious key arrangements and white noise dissonance, in a succinct but calming track that could easily find its place as the background music for a meditation video.

It’s surprising, but also not that surprising when ‘Sitting At The Bottom of the Well’ adds the crackle of vintage organs and heavily shoegaze-inspired riffs into the works. Considering Nightmares of a Stardom Dream highlights that Big Words are an act that refuses to fit into just one box, why wouldn’t they add heavy shoegaze to the mix? They damn near experimented with everything else.

ALEX LAHEY The Answer Is Always Yes

Æ At times, it seems like everyone likes Alex Lahey: everyone except Alex Lahey.

Ever since the release of her first album, I Love You Like A Brother in 2017, the Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist has had Australians in awe, with her witty observational style of lyricism and downtrodden punk-rock riffs becoming a clear staple amongst the Australian festival circuit.

But where most listeners find relatability and transparency in her perceptive lyrics, the artist herself seems to find fault, often holding herself to account by highlighting her flaws before listeners or critics ever get the chance to.

From acknowledging that writing a song inspired by drug use is “such a fucking cliche” (‘The Sky Is Melting’), to lamenting the fact that she’s “been here before, playing the same fucking three chords,” (‘Permanent’), on her new 10-track album, Lahey’s a songwriter who is very weary of accepting praise.

Whether a result of her self-doubt or just a lack of faith in how the audience will interpret her music, Lahey isn’t just afraid of praise, she seemingly thinks she’s undeserving of it, with songs like the closing track ‘The Answer Is Always Yes’ openly grappling with the fear that her success may be fleeting.

But that’s what makes it so exciting. With Lahey’s fear of being replaced helping to push the artist into previously unchartered territories, The Answer Is Always Yes delivers some of her most innovative and imaginative work to date, even if she doesn’t think so.

Deuce

Wild Type

Æ If you’re reading this issue on a lazy Sunday, Deuce’s second release, Wild Type, is one for you.

Expanding on the cinematic stylings showcased on their self-titled album in 2021, Wild Type continues to propel Curtis Wakeling (The Ocean Party) and Kayleigh Heydon’s hazy dream-pop vision with effortless comfortability.

Ebbing and flowing between arpeggiated synths, melancholic guitar licks and dreamy indie-pop melodies, Deuce’s follow-up release can only be likened to the sensibility of a leaf in the wind. It just has that free-flowing quality to it.

Whether it’s providing shimmery guitar licks alongside murky Ethel Caininspired vocals (‘Fall Apart’), or merging twangy alt-country guitars with dark-folk ominosity (‘That Hill’), Wild Type is an album that delivers each song with an equal level of coziness. At times, feeling so casual in its approach that you often forget that you’re listening to an album.

‘Rabbit Hole’ sees Wakeling adopt a dreary dreamlike quality to his vocals, channelling subtle elements of early The Velvet Underground. ‘Control’ leans more into the pop side of ‘dream-pop’ by delivering more upbeat rhythms and catchy hooks in its chorus, while the aptly named ‘Breathe’ delicately balances dulled vocal harmonies alongside glimmering guitar licks and the bassy horn arrangements.

If Wild Type shows us anything, it’s that music doesn’t need to be brash to warrant attention.

It’s multifaceted but not complex, making it the perfect easy-listening album for your Sunday afternoon. Boil the kettle, rug up on the couch and immerse yourself in the world of Deuce, you won’t be disappointed.

FENN WILSON

Honey Dates Death / Ghazals

Æ Fenn Wilson’s always been one to bypass bandwagons. His first album, Ghost Heroin , was shrouded in roguish charm. Not only did it distinguish the Melbournebased songwriter as one with a penchant for gloomy gothic balladry and profoundly textured lyricism, but it also showcased a level of songwriting penmanship unparalleled by most artists in their mid 20’s, with many of Wilson’s narratives feeling hauntingly mature for an artist so fresh into adulthood.

So naturally, his second release, Honey Dates Death / Ghazal , was never going to have a young man’s sound.

But while it’s an album that explores Wilson’s self-growth (or lack thereof) in the wake of his father’s passing, it draws a firm line from his sombre earlier works, adding an alt-rock edge through an explosion of horns, strings and pulsating percussive elements.

Dancing ties in hand percussion, masterful violin arrangements and powerfully strummed riffs alongside Wilson’s commanding vocal cadence; ‘Laying With Bones’ explores delicate harmonisations between electric and acoustic guitars; while ‘Fools Gold’ adds powerful horn-laden crescendos, contrasting against the song’s backdrop of doomed lust.

The difference is palpable, with the bare bones of Wilson’s debut now fleshed out with lush rock balladry, full band bravado and gothic-country drawl. And with Wilson’s gravelly vocal timbre and descriptive songwriting acting as each song’s pillar, it’s both moving and mournful, with Wilson navigating his way through social critiques, solemn confessions and stark realisations with equal levels of ease and unease.

Sunfruits

One Degree

Æ If you’re into Victoria’s boutique festival scene, you would have encountered Sunfruits by now. Throughout the last couple of years, the Melbourne/Naarm-based neo-psychedelia group have become absolute favourites amongst Melbourne’s gig crowd. Many punters have come to love the group’s easy-going and sprightly take on pop-rooted psych-rock.

Upon listening to their debut album One Degree, it’s evident why listeners have been having such fun exploring the group’s diverse soundscapes.

Refreshingly, One Degree doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s not trying to be the coolest kid on the block or showcase a new sound, yet it still manages to drip with individuality.

‘Believe It All’ is replete with nursery keys and upbeat pop-rock rhythms, ‘Made To Love’ melds punk-rock energy with Britpop vocal harmonies, while ‘Reeling’ adds hand-percussion elements providing an atmospheric Latin flavour to the song’s rhythms. In short, it’s a lot of fun.

But this is not to say that One Degree lacks depth: there are several perspectives on environmentalism, the world and relationships with oneself and others while musically, the title track ‘One Degree’ strips it back, allowing for isolated vocals and stagnant key arrangements to act as the song’s main driving force. We also see this in the folk-rooted ‘Warning Signs’, which delicately adds strings alongside all four members’ unison vocal arrangements.

For a debut, One Degree truly has it all. Whether you’re a fan of modern psychrock or a lover of more vintage tones, it’s a release that’ll be packing something for you.