5 Aussie Albums You Have To Hear
The past two years have seen a slew of great albums come and go, so here’s a few you might have missed. From rock, jazz, doom, and indie, there’s something for you.
Smarts — Who Needs Smarts, Anyway?
Released back in 2020, Smarts had their album launch delayed for over a year so this still feels pretty fresh. It’s fast paced rock, the lyrics are fun, and there’s a sax! Also, it’s on Anti Fade Records, one of the best Australian indie record labels, so if you’re familiar with the label then you might have a good idea of what you’re in for. Check out this live session on YouTube too as it’s perhaps even better than the album.
Screensaver — Expressions of Interest
Back in 2021 I saw Screensaver at The Tote when all they had online were some demos. Now that the album is finally out, it happily doesn’t disappoint. Channelling all of the best post punk bands you can think of, the synth and guitars compliment Krystal Maynard’s vocals well, but for me the best parts are the drums. When I saw them live I was really impressed to see the drum kit feature some electronic pads, and the mix of the different drum sounds just adds another layer to this brilliant band.
Aura — Aura
An Australian jazz quartet who met in Canada, Aura released one of my favourite Australian jazz albums of the past few years in 2020, but like many local bands they were unable to tour together until recently. This one features Flora Carbo on alto saxophone, Audrey Powne on trumpet, Helen Svoboda on bass, and Kyrie Anderson on drums. They’re each in various other projects and have solo work around too which is worth checking out, but this is by far my favourite I’ve heard from them all so far.
Partner Look
As their name suggests, this band is made up of two couples. But what’s really interesting is how each member gets a couple of songs to sing on across the album. It means the style kind of changes from indie rock, twee childlike songs, to faster more upbeat singalong tunes. Subjects include horses, the rain, and Germany. It’s an odd album, but it’s this type of experimentation that makes it so interesting to listen to.
Divide & Dissolve — Gaslit
Released back in 2021 on Invada, Gas Lit is a mostly instrumental album from a band who once got kicked off YouTube for their video protesting colonial monuments. This is very heavy doom metal, and much like their previous albums it has a political message as the band are passionate about issues such as ending colonialism and destroying white supremacy. The message might not come across to everyone, given the tracks are instrumental, so it’s worth reading up on the band and what they’re trying to convey too. Either way, they have a great sound and an incredibly strong discography so far.
