Ivy League Records 2005
Track Listing
1. Beg Your Pardon
2. Private Education
3. Fill You In
4. Goldmines
5. Middle of the Hill
6. Staring Down the Sun
7. Feeding the Wolves
Josh is relatively new artist in the Sydney Indie scene (since 05), but he's really paved a way for himself, using melody and lyrics to his great advantage.
Aswell as working as a solo artist, he's also a member of "Basement Birds" along with Kevin Mitchell, Steve Parkin and Kav Temperley.
His debut release through Ivy League Records, Feeding the Wolves received quite a bit of attention.
Private Education has simple acoustic melody, and thats what makes it all the more memorable. I really like the fact that lyrics have a double meaning, the reference to private education being costly, but meaning the personal cost, not the monetary one. The ill-obsession with another that just seems to cause you pain, but you hang around anyway..
Goldmines.
Mystery. Deceit. Macabre. Something very questioning about this song. The bridge really gets me in this track "here's only so much a man can take, before crack, crack, crack, cracking in", the scales and the distortion. The clash of the tambourine is the constant, the acoustic runs all the way through, building slowly along with the strings. The strings are very complementary to the vocals.
Middle Of the Hill. The story track which is really quite well composed. Makes me smile everytime I hear it. "I dont pay enough attention to the good things but I gotta".
I enjoy the harmonies, which accentuates some themes like in the " mother knew the words to a lot of different songs" line. I also noticed a onomatopoeia like "knock". The repitition of the riff and lyrics portray reminicence. Simple acoustics with gradual introduction of clapping and percussion makes the song catchy and quick paced.
The song I feel the most affinity for is Feeding the Wolves, the inner demons, the self torturing. Its something that makes you feel so much, but you just have to experience again. His talent for lyrics really shine here. Tone of lyrics as well as the music is melancholy and internally reflective.
Its losing your lover, watching them leave, leaving you to fight the wolves alone.
Its beautifully tragic.
This is a beautiful debut, it definately deserves the rave reviews it recieved upon its release.
An easy listening album, that you'll definately need to hear again.
Pour L'amour
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