Cd Reviews

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday June 23, 2006

Kelsey Munro; John Shand; Bernard Zuel

the fauves

NERVOUS FLASHLIGHTS (Shock)

***1/2

Cynical, witty, self-deprecating and persistent beyond reason, Melbourne's the Fauves return with their eighth album in a famously uncommercial 18-year pop-rock career. Songwriter and singer Andrew Cox has found a fresh reserve of inspiration, his lyrical barbs sharper than ever. Favourite topics include the dole, John Howard, indie music in-jokes and sex. But this time there's enough heart and laid-back hooks to lift the album above novelty-song territory.

Kelsey Munro

olivier antunes/jesper lundgaard

ARCHING (www.henk.com.au)

***1/2

The Danes may have changed axes from the battle variety to musical ones, but they are still intent on world domination. Pianist Olivier Antunes and bass player Jesper Lundgaard may not be reinventing the wheel or igniting bloody revolution, but they do make beautiful sounds, interact intensely and keep their improvisations tight and focused. Two-thirds of the soft-hued tunes are from their homeland.

John Shand

the mcclymonts

THE MCCLYMONTS (Universal)

***

They're three Grafton sisters with the pop-country look (glam denim), the pop-country vocals and the pop-country songs (a bit of rock, pop and country). It should go down a treat on the Country Music Channel as it's generic enough not to scare anyone in Caboolture or Roma, even if urban radio stations won't play it. If they're willing to sell their souls a la Keith Urban, Nashville may beckon.

Bernard Zuel

the gingers

LOVE YOU LONG TIME (Illicit/MGM)

***

Melbourne trio the Gingers could be the pop-punk version of the McClymonts. They've got the pop-punk look, the pop-punk sound (sharp guitars, little bottom end, shouty vocals) and the pop-punk songs (two and a bit chords, unsophisticated melodies and a touch of aggro). Somewhere south of the Donnas for the moment, the raw Gingers get an extra half star for putting this EP out on vinyl, too.

Bernard Zuel

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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