L. W. MAJOR – BUT THEN ONE DAY THE JACARANDAS HAD ALL BLOOMED

L. W. Major’s second album has all the intimacy of a gig in your lounge room. Recorded over six months in a home studio, Major’s style is effortless, comprised of simple layers and light drones to accompany his slightly twanging and relaxed voice, which croons of memories of love and lost companions. While pretty, there is little variation of timbre and texture across the twelve tracks. A mixture of ballads and instrumental tracks And Then One Day the Jacarandas Had All Bloomed is characterised by the combination of a gently rocking acoustic guitar, minimalist percussion and harmony to support a mediocre, yet gentle, vocal mid-range. Sketched around a lilting triple time, All Night Through, The Moon Knew offers a rhythmic break from the folkish monotony. Throughout the song, a softly picking melody is heard over harmonies in a waltzing rhythm, before filling out with a whispering melodica drone. A pedestrian stepwise melody rings from the piano’s treble. Eighth track Turquoise Pony on the Mantle leans forward from the pack with an almost-blues style guitar, but apart from a sparse cameo of a tambourine, it quickly settles into the same sound palate which drenches the rest of the album. 1.5/5