STILL SINGLE

A space for thoughts on music and culture, as written by Doug Mosurock and a select handful of individuals. This is intended as a supplement to our regular feature Still Single, published on Dusted Magazine. Updates will run here more frequently, and may feature writing on music not covered in the column. Compact discs are still not accepted for review -- we have more than enough vinyl and the occasional cassette to worry about. Our Twitter feed keeps you apprised of reviews as they're published. It's kept locked and private, because with a name like @stillsingle, everyone thinks it's a dating site. Approvals happen whenever they happen.

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July 22, 2012

Lower Plenty – Hard Rubbish LP (Easter Bilby/Special Award)

RECOMMENDED

Lower Plenty (mems. UV Race, Deaf Wish, The Focus, and I think Total Control, to some extent) seem to know what they’ve got, and aren’t quite sure what to do with the rest, on this maddeningly uneven debut. The group works around quiet, organized downer rock/folk, featuring acoustic guitar at the forefront for most of the nine brief tracks here. The first three cuts are utterly brilliant, some of the best music that’s come out of the new Australian band uprising, and are completely worth your attention. They hover somewhere between the stern, hangdog, empty-vessel sound of Lee Hazlewood’s darkest pieces and earlier, depressed Cat Power stare-through-concrete determination, a combo that works so well I’m surprised no one else has figured it out yet. The tension mounts on the first two (particularly “Strange Beast,” the album’s best selection) then comes to a head with the third track, “Dirty Flowers,” which adds some potent Dead C.-style electric guitar squall to the proceedings. Best of all, none of these songs overplay their hand. The songs are short and tightly crafted, spare without being minimal, and make the most of distinct vocal styles and a light, manageable lineup. Then the record sits on autopilot for the duration, with perfectly serviceable takes on the same sound, but nowhere near the level of what’s come before, until the finale “Close Enough” reminds us why we stuck around in the first place. None of the songs in question stray from the formula, but rather make the happenstance/ambition that drove those early cuts feel like accidents. I’ve spun this thing about a dozen times since it showed up, and it’s an unavoidable gap. Bands can’t really afford to be doing this sort of thing anymore, and it makes things all the more maddening when you think of how great Lower Plenty has shown itself to be, but I’d say pick this up anyway just because of the quality, and hope their next one figures out the missteps and corrects them. You shouldn’t miss their best material – if this were a 7” with just the four songs I mentioned, I’d buy half the pressing. (http://ineedinsulation.blogspot.com) (http://specialawardrecords.bandcamp.com)
(Doug Mosurock)

10 months ago • 0 notes