Angus, Julia and Perfect Singing
By TIM DAVID HARVEY
What's your go-to karaoke song? For 'Tron: Legacy', 'Four Brothers' and 'Mudbound' star Garrett Hedlund, it may just be the lead single and title-track off 'Karaoke Bar', the new album from ruling Aussie double-act, Angus & Julia Stone. The singing sibling's first album in two years, following the warm and wonderful 'Cape Forestier'. The 'Friday Night Lights', 'Unbroken' and 'On The Road' actor appears in the music video for said single that has shades of Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn's 'Iguana Bird', off their 'Apart' EP. Not to mention, many a lonely, Las Vegas night Killers, or Brandon Flowers blooming video amongst the Sin City neons.
Coupled with the other-worldly atmosphere of these 'Celestial Bodies', this is the Stones back in their most accomplished age. Back when Australian friends were introducing me to their music in Manchester and in-sync, listening to the pair in Santa Monica was like a dream. This is the sweet spot of albums like 'Snow' and the fall of their self-titled third. With this sixth, for a collective that have been doing their thing, together and solo, since 2006, they mark their 20-year anniversary with an album that really ties their catalogue together, just like the Lebowski rug they lie on for the amazing album artwork. The only thing that looks better is Angus' Mickey Mouse Daytona 500 jacket (want) over a Bruce Willis vest and Julia's orange on white wordtec, Louisville, Kentucky tee (also want...I'll make it work).
So, it's time to sing along. As clever concept lyric videos for 'The Cherry Farm' and 'Monroe', for all you weekend with Marylin guys, actually look like grainy, classic karaoke ones from the 80s. You know when the words light up, that's your cue to flow. Of course, karaoke comes from here in Japan. That word is as Japanese as capsule hotels, vending machines and half a cup of ramen. So, what better way to celebrate all this then with the Nippon neon sounding 'Take Me Back To Japan'? Singing, "You like cigarettes in the cinema/There's only a few places left where you can/Roll the die out with a half played hand/Take me back to Japan." As atmospheric, as the land of the rising's sunsets, and fellow lost in translation and love tracks of Lianne La Havas ('Tokyo') and Phoebe Bridgers ('Kyoto').
This snack bar with the perfect hosts, goes all over the show, too. Right to the moving 'Mexico City' end of the line. This Virgin album was also conceived in Greece, France and their native home of the likes of INXS (before the tragedy) and The Jezabels (before the stupidity), Australia, with all the people they met in the places along the way. From 'The Start', this feels like the 'Brightest Place', as Julia sings, "I chase the city lights for somewhere fun to go/I'm hiding out in the brightest place I know/I'm not a liar/It takes me higher, than I could on my own/I'll get home/I'm at home on the dance floor/Don't call me if you didn't want to stay for more," with a vivid vocal distort in an experimental age A.I. couldn't hold a note to.
'Strangely Strangely', a breakup record with bite, is one of the best, best. Whereas 'Cowgirls Lover Boi', certified anti-Drake, is something Neil Young and his crazy horses would love in the sand. As Angus accents, "Rattlesnake, he bite like a snow storm/Can't get the saddle on the back while the horse run/He my cowboy, 40-gallon oil drum/At high noon, he'll put you in the ground son." Yet it's the title-track and Neil Diamond classic that will have you Hedlund, head-over-heels singing along like you were sweet on someone named Caroline. "BA, BA, BA!" Diamond tributes haven't been mined this strong since Hugh Jackman and an Academy Award-nominated Kate Hudson channelled Mike and Claire Sardina for 'Song Sung Blue'. But this one still passes the bar. You're up! What song have you got in your back pocket?
Playlist Picks: 'Monroe', 'Take Me Back To Japan', 'Mexico City'.
