New Releases - 10/10/2018

​Eight tracks you absolutely have to hear this week via Pond, Johhny Hunter, Civic, Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, David Bowie, Julia Jacklin and Lennox's own WHARVES.

JULIA JACKLIN – BODY (LIBERATION)
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Any artist can sing a song like this but when Jacklin does she’s the saddest woman in the world.

JOHNNY HUNTER – CULT CLASSIC (BREAKEVEN)

Johnny Hunter is high impact. Johnny Hunter’s glam. He’s new romanticism, post punk too. Johnny Hunter is the feeling of it hitting you, all at once. 
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​COURTNEY BARNETT – SMALL TALK (MILK!/REMOTE CONTROL)

Slap dash talkin’ blues, this music is loose. You could see why this didn’t play well into the more focused Tell Me How You Really Feel. But just as equally it’s now out there in this great big world now and we’re better for it. 
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​KURT VILE – ONE TRICK PONIES (MATADOR/REMOTE CONTROL)

Fans looking to sample the overall vibration of Vile’s upcoming Bottle It In might be like ‘One Trick Ponies’ is your one stop shop. 

POND – SIXTEENDAYS (SPINNING TOP)

How to describe Pond? A thought. ‘Synth funk electro slam poetry space jam maybe even a little John Maus.’
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​CIVIC – PLEASURE (ANTIFADE)

Read the words which accompanied this latest release from Melbourne’s Civic as, “a fantastic stab at power pop for the modern set.” After this thought, “Well that’s all any good punk can do isn’t it?” What was actually written was, “a fatalistic slab of power pop for the modern set.” In any case, true.    
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​WHARVES – SOONER OF LATER (INDEPENDENT)

Lennox outfit Wharves are a band still trying to figure themselves out. They’ve dipped into more than a few musical skins over the past few years but with EP Sooner or Later it feels like they’re finally finding their own. Sooner reaches back. The record embraces a bashing post punk rhythm and soundscaping guitar. At other times it dives headlong into indie dance. This all pushes forward as its own vibrant take. More than a few Australian contemporaries have attempted things like this, but when did any of 'em sound this good?    
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DAVID BOWIE– HEROES (PARLAPHONE)

For better or worse the modern festival phenomena has had a profound impact on popular music. Bowie’s 2000 Glastonbury appearance sticks as one of its crowning movements. He may have sung ‘Memory of a Free Festival’ in 1970 but he waited more than three decades to have that moment for himself. He dressed for the occasion too.     
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Words by Riley Fitzgerald