Gary Steel“THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY” – A SHORT SERIES OF 2014 ALBUM REVIEWS THAT NEVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY, FOR SOME REASON.
ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH Australian group The Go-betweens will find English group Grass House – whose debut this is – about as comfy as an old couch. Because of singer Liam Palmer’s rather downcast, moody vocals, they’ve also been compared to Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds, but really, Palmer’s flat, almost spoken word ‘character’ vocals echo those of The Go-betweens’ Robert Forster.
In fact, the rudimentary guitar figures that serve as architecture here also echo Brisbane’s best, but there the comparisons end. A Sun Full And Drowning hooks you with the above, then immerses you in waves of reverb and almost hallucinogenic layers of atmosphere. It’s a great hybrid that combines a certain flintiness of delivery with almost cinematic imagery.
It’s a humble album that never promises anything grandiose, but is full of small moments of pleasure. GARY STEEL
Sound = 3.5/5
Music = 3.5/5
