Latest Album Reviews: The Avalanches, Maxwell, Roisin Murphy, Bat For Lashes & Biffy Clyro

Are The Avalanches still crazy after all these years? Do you wanna fight Biffy Clyro? Is Maxwell smart? Will you Bat For Lashes? How many Roisins does Murphy want to make another album?

Australian hip hop act The Avalanches look semi-chuffed about the 4 star review of Wildflower.

Are The Avalanches still crazy after all these years? Do you wanna fight Biffy Clyro? Is Maxwell smart? Will you Bat For Lashes? How many Roisins does Murphy want to make another album?

WILDFLOWER

THE AVALANCHES

[EMI]

4 stars

The Avalanches - Wildflower

There’s a five-star album hiding in the petals of Wildflower, the first album by The Avalanches in, maybe you’ve heard, 16 years.

It’s an irresistible record in so many ways, if only they’d resisted tinkering with a few songs and let the beat roll.

The Leaves Were Falling takes us into a pirate radio broadcast — The Avalanches remain the most ravenous bounty-hunters for samples. Because I’m Me is a heart-bursting disco number that straps rollerskates on your feet and a smile on your face before you know what’s up.

Wildflower’s message is about being true to yourself, something Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi have done.

Frankie Sinatra is a carefree, ebullient, swingin’ jam, out of step with trends but happy to “do this s- my way”.

Subways samples 12-year-old singer Chandra from 1980 and is a warm, Sesame Street bellbottom disco belter.

Going Home rides the high pass filter (and has extra drumming from Kevin Parker), If I Was a Folkstar allows Toro y Moi’s yearning, little kid voice to transport us to a beach where the coconuts aren’t crazy, they’re spiked with, ahem, something else.

Mercury Rev’s Jonathan Donahue makes two glorious appearances; on the chillwave, backwards tape loop of Colours and strings ’n’ things cut Kaleidoscopic Lovers.

Noisy Eater and Live a Lifetime Love are missteps; they shoulda kept the guest rappers in wrappers. Stepkids gets back on the good foot and Park Music lets waves lap at your feet as carousels dip and wind in the distance, car sirens ringing out. The Wozard of Iz hints at being a masterpiece ... then wanders off. The Avalanches are conduits, they dig through Op Shop records to find sounds you’ll dig.

Promise me one thing: you won’t judge it after one listen on your earbuds. Play this uber-loud on a sound system that’s up for the challenge. It is indeed a classic, one that can sit next to its born-at-the-right-time sibling Since I Left You. Spend some bloomin’ time with it./MIKEY CAHILL

SOUNDS LIKE: so close, The Avalanches nearly nail it

IN A WORD: meticulous

CD reviews: Latest releases

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Time to buy, aaaaight:

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/alternative-hip-hop-electronic/wildflower-deluxe-edition/958790/

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/alternative/ellipsis/952301/

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/urban-rap/blacksummersnight/969368/

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/alternative/bride-the-limited-edition/969579/

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/Search/results/?keywords=roisin%20murphy

Let’s talk about all this and more, sexxxy reader:

@joeylightbulb (Mikey Cahill)

@therealcyclone

@kelts82

Originally published as Latest Album Reviews: The Avalanches, Maxwell, Roisin Murphy, Bat For Lashes & Biffy Clyro