Tannic Teeth

Few songsmiths are able to lurch feelings so freely as Paddy Mann from Grand Salvo. So freely and with such piercing clarity.

His second fifth album, Soil Creatures, is a low-fi amalgam of plucked harp, meandering piano and sweeping acoustic guitar. The lyrics are almost whispered. It’s delicate as a lacy veil yet conjures up emotive power of the “whimsical. wistful and wanting”. Like threads of dreams chased upon awakening.

Operating out of Melbourne, his album contains ten tracks. It’s spartan and pensive. The track list are simple single words. Simplicity doesn’t belie any loss of power.

I first heard ‘Needles’ on Triple J whilst driving home from work. I couldn’t think straight after paying attention to the lyrics. And they’re not convoluted bamboozling lyrics.

They’re simple. Like the thoughts we have yet never think to express. “The curtains behave like the soul of a wave – the texta explodes so deliciously slow” for example. A touch of gold if you ask me – but then again I am a closet hippy.

Stand out tracks: Needles, Father, Brother and Sea

(You can listen to a few tracks by clicking here)

Always on the lookout for new up and coming Australian bands, I stumbled across Newcastle band Firekites on Triple J.

Straddling the genera of indie-pop-folk-jazz, Firekites has released their debut album ‘The Bowery’. It’s a mix of plucked acoustic strings, soft voices, immixed with strings and subtle electronica. The lyrics are softly spoken invoking nostalgic emotions, where seipa tones come true to life. It’s cruisy low-fi music where you feel obliged to chase the threads of day dreams that sprout when listening. Lyrical and heart felt. For some reason it reminds me of Melbourne. The cold, the laneways and the promise of coffee and hope for love.

It’s warm, earthly, nostaligic and deja vu inducing.

Stand out tracks: Last ships, Autumn Story, Paris,  Same Suburb Different Park, By Night, Skimming Rooftops

Check out the videos for Autumn Story. It took 6 months to make, it’s stop motion chalk animation.

Same Suburb Differnt Park is also very arty too.

Listen to some tracks here