NSW
brother and sister Angus and Julia Stone offer a tantalizing combination
which wouldn't be nearly as absorbing if they weren't together.
There are two very different voices at play, literally and as songwriters,
two sides which dovetail together intriguingly between songs. 'Stranger'
one of the rare songs they actually share lead on. Angus has a Paul
Simon style voice, in the high register, equally as suited to lead
and harmony. Julia's is one of those girly, fragile theatrical voices
very much in vogue in alt-folk these days. She'd struggle to distinguish
herself against the competition, but alternating with Angus gives
her the necessary platform of variety, and just as well, because
the songs she takes charge of are such wonderful tales of forlorn
reflection - like 'Wasted', expressing a curious perspective on
being in love and being loved; and 'Another Day' where she stays
in her room to write another song rather than coming out to play.
Those songs throw kooky, powerful little hand-grenades into the
mix of beautifully crafted acoustically performed songs with colourful
flourishes of harmonica, strings or piano. In the end every song
offers its own personality, adventure, as those two distinct halves
sometimes seamlessly, sometimes strikingly come together as one.
NSW
brother and sister Angus and Julia Stone offer a tantalizing combination
which wouldn't be nearly as absorbing if they weren't together.
There are two very different voices at play, literally and as songwriters,
two sides which dovetail together intriguingly between songs. 'Stranger'
one of the rare songs they actually share lead on. Angus has a Paul
Simon style voice, in the high register, equally as suited to lead
and harmony. Julia's is one of those girly, fragile theatrical voices
very much in vogue in alt-folk these days. She'd struggle to distinguish
herself against the competition, but alternating with Angus gives
her the necessary platform of variety, and just as well, because
the songs she takes charge of are such wonderful tales of forlorn
reflection - like 'Wasted', expressing a curious perspective on
being in love and being loved; and 'Another Day' where she stays
in her room to write another song rather than coming out to play.
Those songs throw kooky, powerful little hand-grenades into the
mix of beautifully crafted acoustically performed songs with colourful
flourishes of harmonica, strings or piano. In the end every song
offers its own personality, adventure, as those two distinct halves
sometimes seamlessly, sometimes strikingly come together as one.