Jonathan David Shaw – Waa

Here's a first for dots and loops: a guest review! A good job too, as I haven't written much lately, plus it's an album by Jonathan David Shaw, the lead singer and acoustic guitarist in my band, Summon the Birds. This review of Jon's new solo album Waa comes courtesy of C.J. Lahey...

Armed with an acoustic guitar, vocals and late-night candle-lit eiderdown reverb, Jonathan David Shaw (JDS) delivers what could be his most accessible album since 2005’s conceptual Boo.

What delineates this from JDS’s other works is a certainty that steers the album confidently through 13 lush tracks. The welcome mat track, 'Overture', is an appropriately sized and framed instrumental blueprint through which the album unveils.

JDS’s vocals, while not hardening in the sense of cement, are certainly more defined, stronger and more purposeful than in the past. In Waa, the way his vocals shape his lyrics is almost akin to a melodic actor, allowing the dense and earthy imagery of his words to form. Tracks like ‘Bird on a Branch’, ‘Run Like You're Never Still’ and ‘Bird Knows Where You Are’ are the best reflections of this, where along with his vocals and accents, JDS peppers his delivery with poignant and purposeful pauses.

Another aspect that gives Waa wings lies in the guitar work. While always working as the foundation upon which JDS and Marlene Samson sing, JDS's fingerpicking style adds a nuance and flair that elevates these songs. A special note to the engineer, who allows the album to develop a sonic signature within the tasteful reverb that the songs soak in.

A return to form for the Melbourne balladeer; we hope he finds time in his busy schedule to tour it.

– C.J. Lahey

Waa is available to download via Bandcamp, and to stream via Spotify.

Mining Tax – Degenerational Report EP

I won't pretend to have a particularly firm handle on what's going on in Australian politics these days, but one thing's for sure: most of what Tony Abbott and the Liberals have done to Australia since being voted in has been an utter fucking joke. (If there was ever a question of whether Abbott is snugly nestled in the pocket of the devil, there's a handy blog detailing the extensive damage Abbott has inflicted upon this country.)

Perth-based duo Mining Tax – Alex Griffin (Ermine Coat) and Mitchell Henderson-Miller – cut straight to the chase with the title of their debut EP Degenerational Report. While Mining Tax seem, on the surface, to be yet another '80s-aping outfit, more style than substance, the opposite is in fact the case: this is minimal synth-pop of a warm, incisive and intelligent stripe. Griffin's impassioned and occasionally very witty vocals are smothered by Henderson-Miller's fuzzy synths, evoking the muffled voices of the thousands of frustrated Australians who can't wait to kick Abbott out of the PM's chair next year. 

Popping this 20-minute beauty on gives me the same thrill as I got at school when the teacher would wheel out the TV and VHS player on a trolley so we could watch a documentary in class.



Degenerational Report is out now on Workplace Safety CD-Rs.

Hidden Shoal artist profile: Apricot Rail

Apricot Rail

Perth-based instrumental pop band Apricot Rail create the kind of gleaming, melodic music to perfectly soundtrack moments of wide-eyed discovery, blue-skied revelation and intimate tenderness. Woodwinds, glockenspiels and trumpet weave amid chiming guitars to create music that is as moving as it is playful. The band released their self-titled debut album, produced by Umpire's Simon Struthers, in 2009. It features beautiful single 'Pouring Milk Out The Window':



In 2011 the band released their latest single 'Surry Hills', the first to include newest member Justin Manzano:



If you're interested in licensing Apricot Rail's music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com