Month: August 2021

Reviews

CD Review: Sleater-Kinney – Path Of Wellness

By ellierobinson on
PHOTO CREDIT: KAREN MURPHY

Band: Sleater-Kinney
Album: Path Of Wellness
Label: Milk! / Remote Control
Release: June 11th, 2021

Rating: 8.5/10

Fans of their grittier, more punk‑centric work may be soured by the glossy production and stylistic quirkiness, but with a radiant, self-assured energy and a strikingly colourful palate of tones at their disposal, Sleater-Kinney knock it out of the park on album #10.

Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker bounce off each other with dazzling aplomb, their interplay tight, twined and tantalising. Their playing here is the cleanest and most deliberate it’s ever been, yet it still hits with a powerful impact.

It’s the riskiest tracks that stand out most: the cool, cantering “Method”, the funky and frenetic “Favorite Neighbor”, and the slick, solo-lacquered “Down The Line”. More than anything, Path Of Wellness is inescapably catchy; head-bopping is non-negotiable.

Please note: this review is also printed in #144 of Australian Guitar Magazine, syndicated here because AG’s album reviews are no longer published online.

Path Of Wellness is out now via Milk! / Remote Control. Click here to buy or stream.

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Reviews

CD Review: Alice Skye – I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good

By ellierobinson on
PHOTO CREDIT: ATONG ATEM

Artist: Alice Skye
Album: I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good
Label: Bad Apples / Universal
Release: July 23rd, 2021

Rating: 8/10

Equally pensive and punchy, Alice Skye’s second LP is nothing short of breathtaking. Ebbing and flowing between deep, simmering melancholy and bright, captivating dreaminess, the Wergaia stalwart simply refuses to hold back; she’s crafted a record perfect for those long, introspective late-night road trips. 

Guitars on the record are subtle and understated, but strikingly impactful when they do lead the fray – take for example the gravelly, distorted leads on “Everything Is Great” or the shimmery, ‘70s-channeling strums on “Grand Ideas”. Less really is more throughout; the bold, attention‑grabbing solo on “Browser History” feels so because it’s underscored by a simple, cantering beat, Skye’s warm, honeyed ruminations so easy to melt into on either side of it.

Please note: this review is also printed in #144 of Australian Guitar Magazine, syndicated here because AG’s album reviews are no longer published online.

I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good is out now via Bad Apples / Universal. Click here to buy or stream.

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