Saturday, May 5, 2012

Reviews: Mystery Jets - Radlands, Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Backyard

The following album reviews originally appeared in print for triple j magazine's April Issue (no. 60), 
 Mystery Jets - Radlands (Rough Trade)
Radlands was recorded in Austin, TX and Mystery Jets want you to know it. From a song called 'Lonestar' (obviously) to the lilting blue-eyed country of 'Roses'; the sonic influence of Americana has rubbed off on their considerable knack for penning smart pop.
Broadening their approach and ambition, there’s choirs on 'Sister Everett', glam somp for 'Saviour' and the buzzing Britannia allusions of 'Greatest Hits'.
It may be their most inconsistent set to date, but it’s all the more interesting for it.
Mystery Jets - "Sister Everett" by forcefieldpr
Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Backyard (Domino)
Little has progressed in the musical world of the Canadian singer/songwriter, but that’s no bad thing. Despite recording exclusively in his Montreal apartment, his third LP possesses his typically sweeping musical elegance.
His uniquely haunting falsetto populating intimate chamber hymnals (The Quiet Crowd) and lush arrangements alike (Lighthouse). There’s a cinematic quality too, from the Sufjan Stevens-meets-Ennio Morricone of the title track to the closing instrumental, 'Swimming Pools', sounding like a Donnie Darko migrant. In a word: beautifully evocative.
Patrick Watson - Into Giants by DominoRecordCo

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