Angus Stone "Broken Brights"

I must have received a leaked copy of this back in May.  Why?  How?  Maybe Angus remembered me from Bonnaroo a couple of years ago.  There weren't very many festival attendees at their set.  Who am I kidding?  His sister, Julia, was the one who stayed and conversed with those of us who so desired (I'll be posting on her solo effort soon).  So I've been enjoying this album for seven weeks and it doesn't even bow in his home country of Australia until Friday!  It's actually coming to America next week, and let me say that it is easily among this year's best releases so far.

One of my entries on the Stone siblings has recorded the second largest number of hits out of the 200+ posts on this blog.  That should give you American readers some insight into how much international juice these kids have generated behind your backs.  Now they both have solo releases available domestically on indie heavyweight Nettwerk Music Group.  Time to catch up America!

On my first spin through "Broken Brights" I noted that I was reminded of any number of solo albums by members of The Church, the Australian band you Americans know as an "Under The Milky Way" one-hit wonder.  When I tally my Church albums, solos and spin-offs, the number reaches twenty-five.  Not bad for one-hit wonders.  Obviously, the comparison of Stone to a Steve Kilbey solo, for instance, is a very good sign, indeed.  The album has plenty of mid-tempo numbers like this...



That has to be sister Julia on bg vocals.  Since the album hasn't been issued yet, there isn't much info out there to research, so I have to guess.  Instrumentation includes flugelhorn, harmonica, banjo, trumpet and piano, with lots of wah-wah pedal, some phase shifting and other old-school psychedelic sonic effects on the electric guitars found among a couple of tracks that rock more. 

Stone has a breathy delivery to his vocals reminiscent of Ray LaMontagne.  I posted the video for "Bird On The Buffalo" to my personal FB page and recommended it also to fans of Civil Wars and Neil Young.  Another track brought to mind a Bob Welch (R.I.P.) likeness while the following song screamed Syd Barrett with all the sound effects sprinkled throughout.  And it's good to the last drop, as the album's closer is a throwback to the late 60's with its Wurlitzer organ and echoed guitar.  If I didn't know better, I'd think it was Richard Ashcroft singing. 

"Broken Brights" sixty-one minutes is more than worthy of the $10 purchase price.  I highly recommend it.  Sister Julia's record is $12 for thirty-eight minutes.  Only one spin for it so far, and based on that....................... (to be continued)