This review was written March 2010.
Angus and Julia Stone's greatly anticipated second album Down the Way has hit our shores after three years in the making. The sound of their new album develops upon their previous style of ghostly folk and explores the themes of love, loss and strength. With a vast improvement on production skills, each track is crafted with an emphasis on texturing and layering, giving the album a rich and succinct finish.
The amplified sound of Hold On introduces the new depth that this album has reached. The dominant string arrangement harmonises the sounds of Julia's fragile yet husky vocal melodies, reeling out dramatic and evocative senses. The simple yet distinct piano arpeggios provide a colourful backbone towards the introductory song.
Julia's ability to control her vocals is showcased in For You through the effortless ornamental flutters and vocal jumps. Her vocal style is very similar to American singer song-writer Joanna Newsom. It is this reason why her songs slightly outshine those of Angus'. However, Angus nails the theme of desperation in Draw your Swords, where his singing becomes borderline screaming, through his strained yet delicate vocals. This is the most powerful moment of the album.
And the Boys was the first track released. Produced by Brad Albetta (Martha Wainwright) and co-produced by Angus and Julia Stone, the rich tapestry of harmonies contributes to the maturing sound of the album. However, the chorus of Yellow Brick Road reminds listeners that their delicate and quirky melodies still exist through the music. The electric guitar solo brings something fresh to the album, providing a nice contrast to their mono-rhythmic acoustic guitar chords, allowing a nice fusion of sound.
With their signature style of finger-picking guitar, the album ends with the sweet sounds of The Devil's Tears. The marching percussion rhythms meld in well with the loose vocals of both Angus and Julia, filled with humming and ooh-ing. It provides a harmonically magical end to a brilliant album.
4 stars out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment