'Naturaliste' Album Reviews
Review By Dave Heaton - Erasing Clouds
The Australian trio The Lucksmiths are pros at writing catchy, witty, heartfelt pop songs. With a snappy, sparse format (a drum, a guitar, a bass, a voice), they take anecdotes, stories and settings from their daily lives and work them into smart, attractive songs. To date they've released plenty of albums and singles in their style, and they seem like they could do so forever, turning out album after album of great little tunes. What their latest album Naturaliste makes obvious, if it wasn't already, is that they don't want to fall back on what's working for them, that they'd rather keep devloping their songwriting skills and broadening their sound.
Though the album opens with a typically great upbeat number, "Camera-Shy," its second track immediately makes their intentions known. With "The Sandringham Line" they slow down their pace and heighten the atmosphere, not through stylistic flourishes but through their writing and playing. On it a measured, gorgeous sort of melancholy fills a late-night train, and you feel like you're right there with them. On this song and elsewhere on Naturaliste, they've developed a more textured guitar sound and more methodical pace that pulls listeners right into the places they sing about. Now when they sing a line like, "In the morning it felt like the world had stopped" or "The sun is on the hilltop/casting shadows on things below" you somehow feel like you're there. They've always been poets of weather and landscape, delivering detailed lyrics in that regard, yet on Naturaliste the words are matched by an equally vivid sonic atmosphere.
Even songs that would fit right into their other albums have little guitar touches that help fill them out. Naturaliste is by no means a huge leap into a new sound, and that's a good thing. I'd take even an average Lucksmiths song over a whole day of your average mainstream radio station these days. Yet by toying with their sound in small portions, by making the music more detailed and transporting, they've created one of the lovelier pop albums you'll hear.
Review By Paul. H - Strange Fruit UK
Sometimes, at Strange Fruit, we miss indiepop. A few years ago, when Belle & Sebastian were still a bit of a secret and we were all listening to scratchy copies of Tigermilk, when Bob Wratten was considered a musical genius (okay, for me he still is), when Spearmint were sweeping the nation and when all the best records seemed to come on little seven-inches, it seemed that indiepop was the future, that it was about to rise from the musical underground and we'd all conquer the world in our hairslides and corduroy flares.
But of course that didn't happen. And real feel-good summery indiepop seems to be overlooked a wee bit these days. Rock 'n' roll is great, and electroclash is cool, but there's something timeless about a handful of dreamy tunes played by a collection of nervous indiekids. The Go-Betweens latest album is a prime example of glorious, unashamedly earnest fey pop. And now we have another perfect example in the form of the Lucksmiths new album, quite possibly their best yet.
Maybe it's the heat, or the sunset outside, or the fact that I'm sipping shandies as I write this newsletter, but the second track here "The Sandringham Line" feels like the perfect anthem for a laid back summer. Incredibly delicate vocals create a mellow, melancholic feeling. It's sad, luscious, and enchanting.
It's just a taste of a perfectly melodic little album, too. Opener "Camera- Shy" is jangly, happy and cool, with a sound that's part vintage Billy Bragg, part Jonathan Richman, and part Belle & Sebastian. It's gorgeous, a warm, endearing sound, and a reminiscence of past times and loves through camera snapshots. "Take This Lying Down", too, shares the carefree mood, and is reminiscent of BMX Bandits, or perhaps The Pastels. It's a perfectly endearing little song, a plaintive, gorgeous gem of a track.
There's nothing not to be enchanted by really. "There Is A Boy That Never Goes Out" is an ode to the heroes of the bedsits we all grew up in, an indie boy's requiem, and a veritable jaunt of insecurity and teenage uncertainty. Gorgeous. "Stayaway Stars" is a low-hey gem, too. Sounding a little like a Gene track, with accompaniment from ace Drive-In band The Salteens, it's low- key and deliberate, a beautiful piece with a heart of pure gold.
Hell, the whole album has a heart of gold. It's one of those rare records that doesn't try to be pretentious, that doesn't want to change the world but is perfect to serenade it. Full of sublime melancholy (closer "The Shipwreck Coast" is a heartbreaker) and jaunty, bouncy indiepop, it's an absolute stormer. Mellow, life-affirming, and essential.
Review By Lee Tran Lam - Juice Magazine
"There was a time you could remedy any bout of glumness by attending a Lucksmiths show or playing their intensely sunny pop records. After 10 years, four albums, two singles compilations and enough short releases to appease the completists, the band obviously want to change tack a little, though. So, their fifth album, Naturaliste, still features the twee acoustic pop charm that hooked initial fans, but their songs are moving away from the bright Fauvist-coloured melodies of Punchlines (A Good Kind Of Nervous) or T-Shirt Weather (Where Were We?) to insular, slower tracks about winter and woodsmoke (What You’ll Miss) and “these sameshit nights in the saddest bars” (Stayaway Stars). Stayaway Stars is the highlight: sweetly sombre, its choral voices, gentle lingering brass, and quiet glockenspiel patter turn a song about feeling like yesterday’s garbage into a tender lament. See, they can still make you feel better about being blue." 7 out of 10
Review By Kenneth Nguyen - Sunday Age
Amazing, really. The White Stripes and The Hives are furiously igniting New Rock pyrotechnics, The Neptunes are spreading their bling-bling gospel to the Justin Timberlake lovers of the world, and yet The Lucksmiths can still produce one of 2003’s most enjoyable releases to date with little more than 11 acoustic pop songs about sick days and sunshine. The Melbourne’s trio fifth album contains more intelligent, fragile pop in vein of Belle & Sebastian and The Go-Betweens. Some might find the jangly guitars and melodic vocals overly twee, but most will warm to the sunny innocence and delicate melancholy of songs such as Midweek Midmorning and The Sandringham Line. Lovely.' ***1/2 out of 5
Review By Ben McEachen - Adelaide Advertiser
By now, you know what you are getting with a Lucksmiths venture. And that's no bad thing, especially for devotees of intelligent, nurtured pop. What they lack in massive changes to style, the Lucksmiths always offset with consistent quality. Naturaliste might be more sombre than previous journeys, but the trio's jangly, joyous heart smiles through. The Melbourne legends of smart melodies, pithy lyrics and gentle expanse skip through a few joyrides (Camera-Shy, the clever There is a Boy that Never Goes Out) but the lion's share is mood-drenched ruminations on life's minutia (The Sandringham Line, The Perfect Crime, The Shipwreck Coast). Surprising? No. Satisfying? Of course. ***½
Review By Nick Coppack - Time Off (Album Of The Week)
Aussie indie-pop legends The Lucksmiths serve up their first studio album since 2001’s sublime Why That Doesn’t Surprise Me. But for those who enjoy their Lucksmiths tunes quick-paced and quirky, Naturaliste may disappoint somewhat. Principal songwriter Marty Donald seems to have ‘grown up’, these days preferring to pen longing love songs in place of jangly numbers about aviation or the weather. Of course, there’s still a sprinkling of sunny pop songs, most notably opener ‘Camera Shy’, first single ‘Midweek Midmorning’ and the humorously titled ‘There Is A Boy That Never Goes Out’, but mostly the album’s a down-tempo, introspective listen.
And while some of The Lucksmiths’ immediacy has vanished, Donald’s witty lyrics are ever-present. ‘The Sandringham Line’ features one of the best: “I sat backwards on the train and suddenly the city was further and further in front of me.” It’s certainly a darker shade of acoustic pop than we’re used to from this Melbourne three-piece – and it may take some time to warm to – but Naturaliste is still a terrific album that should become an essential addition to any pop-lover’s collection. **** out of 5
Album Review By Craig New - Revolver Mag
If there's one thing you can count on The Lucksmiths for, it's consistency. With at least a dozen releases over their 10-year history (happy birthday kids), The Lucksmiths' music hasn't ever really deviated away from their trademark sparse, acoustic sound. Whether it be a slow, melancholic, whispered soliloquy or an upbeat, rolling exclamation, you always know it's The Lucksmiths the instant the song begins. That they can continue to provide slight shifts in temperament to this winning formula instead of letting it become tired and stale is testament to the bands' talents. Lyrically, this album is possibly one of their best, with tales of daily and insignificant sadness, brief respites of sunshine joy, and the simple thread of just passing time. Universal and personal, The Lucksmiths have once again managed to record your secret diary in an album context.
Album Review By Lucinda - OzMusic Project
“Naturaliste” is The Lucksmiths’ fifth studio album and its release coincides with the Melbourne band’s 10 year anniversary. It is fitting then that the album returns them to a more stripped back sound, compared to the more lush sounds of their last studio album “Why That Doesn't Surprise Me.” All three Lucksmiths contribute songs to this album, with bassist Mark Monnone and guitarist Marty Donald contributing the bulk of the tracks. Drummer and lead vocalist, Tali White is effortless in lending his voice to whatever story there is to be told; whether it be singing about road trips, being in love, first fights or cliff top cemeteries. It does not get any better than this in pop music.
The opening song ‘Camera Shy’ is identifiably The Lucksmiths - the jangle of the guitar, the tight rhythm section, and the deftly crafted lyrics: “In the foreground are my friends/ grinning madly at the lens/ they look heliolithic.” The next song, ‘The Sandringham Line’ meanders through the Melbourne suburbs with the hypnotic train-like rhythm of White’s drumming and Monnone’s bass. Eva Sommerfeld (from Melbourne band, “The Foots”) shares the vocals with White on this track.
“Stayaway Stars” - features touring Canadian buddies, The Salteens, and Sarah Lockwood on backing vocals. ‘There Is A Boy Who Never Goes Out’ is a short song with a long title and it is book-ended between the melancholy of ‘What You’ll Miss’ and ‘What Passes For Silence’. The Lucksmiths have the knack for putting together the perfect pop song and unfortunately or fortunately - it is incredibly hard to pick a stand-out track. Any of the songs on “Naturaliste” could be taken as the stand-out track. Any of the aforementioned songs could easily be one but ‘The Sandringham Line” is definitely up there, as is the brighter ‘Sleep Well’. Then there is the first single ‘Midweek Midmorning’…
My only complaint is that the recording just does not capture what The Lucksmiths are like live. Having heard the songs a couple of times in a live setting, “Naturaliste” in comparison is a tad subdued. The remedy? Go and see them play before they head off for yet another overseas tour mid-year.
Review By Kelsey Munro - Sydney Morning Herald
The Candle stable has consistently offered up a distinctive, proudly Australian brand of gentle wordy guitar pop. Melbourne's Lucksmiths have been leading the charge for a decade now, with overseas success boosting their audience here. Their fifth album has a laid-back, melancholy mood with a fresh emphasis on acoustic guitars and simple melodic arrangements to set off their nuanced wordplay. they run the risk of being too cute, but they avoid it nimbly. The dreamy 'Sandringham Line' and 'Midweek Midmorning' are immediate standouts. 'Stayaway Stars' takes a pleasantly surprising twist, opening out into something special.
Review By Catherine Blanch - Rip It Up
It's been a couple of years since Melbourne trio The Lucksmiths have released a studio cd, and they have now come up with their fifth - the 11-song melodic indie pop album 'Naturaliste'. These poets and minstrels have matured together from humble beginnings and all contribute to the song list with guitarist, singer and glockenspiel player submitting seven of the 11 tunes on offer.
At times Tali White sings with a breathy close- to -the-microphone whispered voice. This is especially apparent on The Sandringham Line, which also features vocals by Eva Sommerfeld of The Foots. Last year's single 'Midweek Midmorning', is a happy treat and 'What You'll Miss' is a sweet, pleasant tune.
'There is A Boy That Never Goes Out' is a short catchy tune, and i like the line, 'I've woken up on one too many floors, my favourite was yours'. 'Stayaway Stars', featuring the chimes of the glockenspiel, holds a chorus of voices supplied by Canada's The Salteens. Naturaliste closes with 'The Shipwreck Coast', a ghostly tune of minimal guitar and eerie distant drumbeats and trumpets.
It would seem that those young lads i saw performing at Hindmarsh's Jolly Miller Tavern more than 10 yrs ago have come of age. It is now even more difficult to distinguish who wrote which song, as they have well and truly formed that Lucksmiths formula and sound and Naturaliste is one of their finest hours.
Review By Kate Silver - Seattle Weekly
As writer Alain de Botton observes in the tragicomic romantic novel, On Love, "With the modern love affair, the adventure loses its hegemony, what happens can no longer be a reflection of the characters' inner states." Australian indie-pop trio the Lucksmiths certainly have ears for this type of inner monologue. On Naturaliste's "What Passes for Silence," lead lyricist Marty Donald grows delicate and rosy acoustic melodies from the cracks of contemporary romanticism. His insights may be read as Love Songs for Cynics-"What the hell happened last night?/Their first-ever fight and those far-away sirens/She sighed to herself, 'For fuck's sake'/Lying awake in what passes for silence/Matching her breathing to his"-but they're still cute as a de Botton.
Naturaliste loafs like Simon and Garfunkel skipping Scarborough Fair to stay in bed with their girlfriends-here, boredom is romantic, or at least romanticized. You can hear it in vocalist Tali White's bated breaths and within his lightly brushed drum on "The Sandringham Line," essentially one woman's inner monologue prying apart her current affairs on a train ride home. In fact, the trio's traditional pop organization-pared down to a wisp of guitar, bass, and upright snare drum-never overpowers its literate wordplay, offering ever-so-slight embellishment to tiny philosophical questions: Does closure arrive in the grip of a handshake? ("Sleep Well.") Or even with a good night's sleep? ("What You'll Miss.") Still, White's coy admission that "I've woken up on one too many floors, but my favorite was yours" in "There Is a Boy That Never Goes Out" makes up for any partner's disruptive snore.
Review By www.drowneinsound.com
The word "change" is supposed to synonymous with the word "improvement", so in that case how come the term "Indie Pop" has moved from being a description of sensitive, gentile yet left of centre songwriting to implying everything that's wrong with modern culture, namely lads in designer clothes throwing beer and punches while mouthing the words to 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me' or 'Wonderwall' as if they were on the terraces on a Saturday afternoon?
Thankfully, Australian three piece The Lucksmiths have more in common with the pre-Gallagher notion of independent music, their honey drenched harmonies owing more to Forster and MacLennan than McCartney and Lennon. The sprightly opener 'Camera-Shy' owes more than a passing nod to Sarah Records stalwarts The Sea Urchins, while singer Marty Donald's effortless lilt is eerily reminiscent of Gene frontman Martin Rossiter, albeit minus the annoying Morrissey-isms that made Rossiter's bunch impossible to listen to most of the time without cringing in a dark corner.
From the breezy 'What You'll Miss' to the melancholic 'The Perfect Crime', which contains quite possibly the most unhappy ending ever consigned to a piece of music ("You left your sentence open / You left without a sound / The words we kept unspoken / Bury them in the ground"), 'Naturaliste' proves to be both poignant and intriguing in equal measures, while 'There Is A Boy That Never Goes Out' shows that Australians may have a sense of humour after all.
Quite simply, 'Naturaliste' is the melodic equivalent of a change in season, and only the most obscure form of tunnel vision (aka "OasisruleOK-itis")could fail to recognise the desolate beauty that raises its impregnable head with every continuous play of this album.
Review By Adam McKibbin - www.suite101.com
The Scoop: Melbourne's The Lucksmiths are the rare band that can write an entire song about being camera shy ("Camera-Shy") and sacrifice nothing in story or melody. All three band members contribute songs, and they are all find their muse-in varying degrees-in the sun, the sea, and the metaphorical power of winter. Tread-upon territory, to be certain, but a place worth revisiting, especially when it's done with the intelligent charm of The Lucksmiths. For lovers of windows-down, melodic pop, it doesn't get much better. Naturaliste is the band's fifth studio album. Also worth searching out is the "Midweek Midmorning" single, which features two unreleased songs that stand up to the material on Naturaliste. First is the handclappy "Point Being," which has all of the band's signature sprightliness, then "Requiem for the Punters Club," a drinking song for those rainy days (that even busts out the harmonica!).
|
