Sarah Mary Chadwick - 9 Classic Tracks (2015)

Sarah Mary Chadwick has just released her second full-length album, and I know it's a music journalism cliche to say 'aptly-titled' if it is legitimately 'aptly-titled' but I want you to know that these nine tracks are as close to classics as the Jackson Estate will allow. The closeness, the heartache, the honesty and the reality of this album hit you right in the middle of the chest and if you'll allow it, it'll sink into your brain and you'll be in another place for 52 minutes, and hopefully someone is home to slap you out of it if you need to go to the toilet. Trust me, wee before you put the record on, you won't want to miss a bar.

Sydney/Melbourne label Rice is Nice has picked up 9 Classic Tracks, Chadwick joining lovely labelmates Summer Flake, You Beauty, Richard in Your Mind and a huge pile more in adding to the joyous infiltration of the Australian pop scene by DIY and boutique Australian labels. (Her first, Eating for Two, was released on equally important DIY label Bedroom Suck). While Batrider alumni Chadwick's soothing low register is still the gutwrenching point of difference within the plethora of Australian women making underground pop music at the moment, the tracks have stepped from being 'a bit keys or guitar-driven' to 'fully keys-driven', reverberated and delayed harmony nailing the sonic lid on the coffin of melancholy and bittersweetness. Drum machines are an additional element to Chadwick's later sound, though in no way overcooked or overused. Minimalism wins in all forms here, and while I live to wallow in my own lovesickness when I listen to records, 9 Classic Tracks somehow allows me to do this and still feel that everything-is-going-to-be-ok-cos-basically-we're-all-fucked-so-let's-enjoy-it-together feeling. Which is all we really need, right? If you're making this music and someone feels that, you're doing the most perfect thing you can do for humanity, imo. Sarah Mary Chadwick, again, everyone.