BEST LOCAL
Havilah – The Drones
Snarling and howling, it’s as if contemporary Australian music’s balls just dropped. Dissonant passion, blistering energy and lyrical intelligence to boot. Havilah is grand in design and execution, nourishment for the ears and the soul. Australia’s most important band bar none. (CP,SM)
Night Kitchen – We Grow Up
It is rare to see such adventure so well executed on a debut, amid the retro-rockers, the singer-songwriters, the new-wave neu-wave-eighties synthesiser revivalists comes the thoughtful, well-constructed pastoral-folk-pop of Night Kitchen, enjoy(CP)
The Bowery – Firekites
Part indie folk, part smooth groove, sweet and sophisticated pop from Newcastle natives, The Firekites. This is a remarkably polished product for a first outing, both in production and musicianship as well as writing. Sort of like the love children of Steely Dan. (TR, TE, BB, CP)
