Angus and Julia Stone: A Book Like This
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The first of a trilogy of concept albums from the pen of an ex-boardroom exec. |  |
Monday, 31, Mar 2008 09:55
Flock Music, March 31st.
In a nutshell…
Dreamy boy-girl harmonies
What's it all about?
A Book Like This is the debut long-player from brother-sister duo Angus and Julia Stone.
Interestingly, several tracks on the album were recorded in the living room of Fran Healy (yes - he of Travis fame) and half in their homemade studio at the family seat in Newport, Australia. The Driftwood singer even produced several of the tracks including Here We Go Again and Hollywood.
This intimate record deals with all the key components of bohemianism in the 21st century - from the perspective of both genders. Julia sings of the perils of being a girl in love on Wasted and Soldier, while Angus is the boy lusting after the quirky girl on tracks like Bella and Stranger.
Opener The Beast deals with life as a grown-up and Hollywood looks at the absence of happy endings in a modern world where fairytales don't come true.
Underneath the rolling harmonies, fairground waltzes and warming melodies rests the bittersweet notion that a life of airships and flowers fights for existence against the daily grind of adulthood.
Who's it by?
Australian-born Angus and Julia Stone have built up a sterling fan base of young movers and shakers after prolific tours up and down the UK.
Poster boy and girl for the new folk movement, the two have production and arrangements credits on the album and work with a small crack team of musicians.
Recently championed by both Radio 2 and 6Music, the pair are picking up the pace and embarking on their first full UK tour.
As an example...
"I'll sit out on the front sofa while your hands/They talk to me" - Here We Go Again
"Won't you come on home I built us a flying us a flying machine/And we'll go where you want/We'll sail the seven seas" - Bella
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
One would like to think that a growing student fan base, a slot supporting Newton Faulkner, their own upcoming headline show at the Scala, and fans in all the right places after several festival appearances last summer, will get these two the attention they deserve.
What the others say
"Angus and Julia Stone fill my heart to bursting point with joy." - Guardian
"This Australian brother-sister duo have impeccable 'nice' credentials but their simply arranged candyfloss sound is streaked with cyanide." - Times
So is it any good?
The songs are lovely, the production floatingly flawless and the listening more than easy.
The musical accomplishments of the pair are second to none - from the peeps of Angus' harmonica on Here We Go Again to the rusty guitar on Just A Boy and the easy cello and glockenspiel of Hollywood via the hushed percussion of Silver Coin and groaning trombone of Another Day.
And of course, where to start with Julia's little voice. It's a tad Regina Spektor - particularly on the 'oh, oh, ohs' and 'ah, ah, ahs' - and a touch Bat for Lashes. However, the best vocal performances come when the two sing together, with their voices veritably melting together on Beach Boys (and girls)-esque harmonies.
Anyone who fails to fall for the achingly talented - and beautiful - pair must be devoid of a heart.
Special mention should be given to the album artwork, which is almost as beautiful as the record itself. Toy soldiers and cityscapes make it look like a children's book for bright young things on the verge of impending adulthood.
It must be said that the music of Angus and Julia Stone is best enjoyed live - on a hazy sunny day, in the middle of a field and while wearing a floral dress.
8/10
Rebecca Amir