Best Of: November
For Australian music, November was an explosion. As Melbourne shook loose of its tiresome second lockdown the industry seemed to come alive once more. Release strategies that had been put on ice in March rolled forward once more and bedroom produced beauties from the strangest collective year of our life bloomed.
It’s also been the busiest month on the blog since bringing it back to life way back in April. I’ve covered new tracks from Agung Mango & Nikodimos, RinRin, Suzi, and Julia Wallace. I’ve also gone deep on alternative income models for artists as well as how to properly Give Welcome To or Acknowledgement Of Country at your events. If you haven’t checked out those articles yet, hit the home button and have a scroll.
For now though, let’s look at the cream of the crop in a phenomenal month of new music.
Genesis Owusu - The Other Black Dog
Genesis Owusu is one of the most prodigiously talented artists in Australia and this just might be his best track to date. Not content to rest on the laurels of the talent he has displayed since his teenage debut, Genesis Owusu surrounds himself with a cohort of artists of equal and complimentary strength to deliver a restless and ever evolving vision of self expression, rebellion and social consciousness.
Genesis Owusu is making music with profound depth.
As much a punk song as it is hip hop or soul, The Other Black Dog flirts with funk and vocal instrumentation in a way that breaks it away from any clean genre label. A song that thematically and musically spirals out of control whilst dancing through the chaos that seems to currently hold the world captive.
The Other Black Dog is a wildly complete product that has genuine global dominance in scope. This song is huge and deserves to go big.
RAAVE TAPES - Habitual
If Red Flag signaled RAAVE TAPES’ new direction, latest single Habitual explodes it entirely into view.
Expansive, experimental and in all ways excellent. Habitual takes traditional pop elements and a pristine vocal delivery, entirely melting them into a glitching, speaker breaking landscape of electronica. There are moments in Habitual that in isolation sound truly absurd, yet are pulled into this cross-stitch of sound with such confidence that they just make sense.
On Habitual RAAVE TAPES have delivered on a vision in the most unapologetic way. Bending to no conventions and beckoning their fans to come with them as they break any expectations placed on them.
It is brilliant, mature and confident songwriting that absolutely slaps.
Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys - Late Night Essentials
In all honesty I hadn’t heard Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys prior to last month. I saw an instagram story from Skyscraper Stan, and then shortly after David James Young, both heralding the sophomore album from Caitlin Harnett, her first with band The Pony Boys, Late Night Essentials.
That morning I put on Late Night Essentials and walked my dogs. Since I’ve listened to the album in its entirety twice a week. I’ve recommended it to friends. I’ve posted about it on my own Instagram stories. Now, here I am writing about it on my silly little blog. Additionally, when I think about my inevitable album of the year list, I really can’t think of any I would place higher.
A phenomenal body of work that delivers alt-country anthems with pinpoint accuracy. Polished yet still baring its bones, Late Night Essentials will hook you from the intro riff of Rosie and carry you through nine tracks that truly shine with genuine character and authenticity. Caitlin Harnett is a contemporary troubadour and Late Night Essentials is a true statement.
Put the album on, walk your dogs, listen to it in full. It is brimming with some of this year’s very best songs.
Alice Sky - Stay in Bed
The intimacy of Alice Skye’s songwriting is unrivalled. Every song from Skye is so open that you can’t help but be entirely consumed by the emotions being paraded; leaving you ultimately pulled apart. Latest single Stay In Bed is a slow swelling beauty with a soaring peak.
Alice Skye’s voice captivates and drags you close, whilst a twang filled, spiraling instrumentation captures you. Stay In Bed is the kind of song that sweeps you into it and carries you away.
A song of depression, social anxiety, finding comfort in friendship, the light that can exist out the other side and the binding love it can create between the friends who survive with you.
Stay In Bed is beautiful.
ONEFOUR - Against All Odds
"I'm going to use everything in my power to make your life miserable, until you stop doing what you're doing. Every aspect of your life. I'm going to make it uncomfortable for you."
- Sergeant Trueman of NSW Police's Strike Force Raptor on ONEFOUR
The odds of ONEFOUR making it out of 2019 were stacked against them. Having become the focal point of NSW Police’s specialist taskforce designed specifically to break gangs at their core; I don’t think many saw the group being able to survive.
Two members of the group are now in gaol. Their debut national tour was entirely shutdown. The team around them were threatened by police to cease working with the artists. The odds were entirely against the breakout drill rap group from Mt. Druitt. Yet, here we are. With one of Australian Hip-Hop’s most considered and competently delivered debut EPs Against All Odds.
Nine tracks that don’t back down, but rather step up to represent ONEFOUR for who they are, where they have come from and what they are going to conquer. Against All Odds is a triumphant flex of raw talent. Every line feels like it has been sweated over. Every moment of artistic flare feels thought through and through.
A powerful and monumental debut from the group that put Aussie Drill on the map.
Mount Defiance - All Your Washing on the Line
Mount Defiance snuck this one in the last few days of November. A quiet announcement to Instagram and a surprise new song in your streams. All Your Washing on the Line is a simple charmer that shines.
A song that sounds like sitting in the sun with a hangover, watching your washing sway back and forth in the wind. Deceptive in its depth and consistently building on itself. From the introduction of drum machines, to feature vocals to sparkling lead acoustic guitar lines. There’s a new element to find in every listen and not a lot to not entirely love.
Mount Defiance continue their form for finding your heartstrings and playing them perfectly.
