The realm of sweet pop nostalgia is a fervent pursuit for Belle & Sebastian front-man Stuart Murdoch. This is his pet project, a musical of sorts; a story about a common girl wrangling the throes of modern love set to music only possible in the dreams of Murdoch’s nutrasweet pop brain. Vocalists Brittany Stollings and Dina Bankole treat Murdoch’s female anti-heroes with a knowing lilt, akin to the territory Holly Golightly has traversed, but glossed over with suburban mundanity bred into his sharply obvious lyrics, a trademark of the Belle & Sebastian sound. Murdoch himself careens through the odd song here and there, his pompous quaint waverings most instantly familiar in the Eleanor Rigby-esque Pretty Eve in the Tub. Funny Little Frog, with lead vocals by Stollings, is perhaps the pinnacle of the catchiness of this record – a testament to Murdoch’s skill with a felt-tip marker, the arrangements are highly sophisticated, horns strings and pitter-patter pop drumming decorating the album like a Christmas tree. The whole thing is solidly worked, and clearly thought out to appeal to the fans of vintage pop – however there’s just not enough grit to make the Spector fans happy, and not enough heartstopping tunes to feed the Bacharach set. So it all sits somewhere in the middle of almost-greatness, and the tone of the material is so safe and sugary that after a while it tends to turn saccharine, then sour on the palette. Eerily devoid of real emotional connection, instead of taking the listener on a dreamy trip, this record somehow feels a little odd and cold.

**1/2

New South Wales is the place to be for live music this autumn because the state’s annual celebration of live music, Great Southern Nights, is making its return.

Hundreds- literally hundreds- of artists will be storming stages across NSW, for a jam-packed two weeks, from March 21 to April 6. No matter where you are, or what you listen to, there’ll be something for you.

Out of the 300 or so artists on the lineup, you’ll find some classic names in Australian music, like Missy Higgins, Lime Cordiale, Thelma Plum, and Thirsty Merc, or you could try some breakthrough artists like aleksiah and Charley. Tear up dance floors with Kinder, DJ Havana Brown, or keep it chill with Tash and Emily Wurramara.

There are multiple, ARIA award winners and nominees playing shows right across the state, so if you’ve been meaning to get around to listening to some of their stuff, Great Southern Nights is the perfect opportunity.

Gigs right across the state

A whopping 120 venues are taking part in the festivities this year, with performances in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, and the Central Coast, as well as a little further afield, in places like Broken Hill, Byron Bay, the Central West, Orange, Tamworth and Tilba.

But why limit yourself to one area? Great Southern Nights has teamed up with Visit NSW, encouraging people to explore new towns and rediscover old ones, with an interactive gig map and travel guides on their website to help you plan the roadtrip of your dreams. The weather is cooling down, and the nights are getting longer- it’s the perfect time for some new adventures before we have to bundle up for winter.

This year also includes two outdoor program highlights, with walkable gig trails in the Hollywood Quarter in Sydney, and in Midtown Newcastle. The streets will be transformed into free, curated music journeys, with a huge range of artists performing until the wee hours of the morning. Food trucks and nearby venues will be open to keep you going all night, so you can grab dinner and a show.

There’s nothing like the rush of live music, and Great Southern Nights is offering up just about anything you could want on a silver platter. So whether you’re thinking of planning an impromptu road trip with some mates, or just want to check out what the kids are listening to these days, get over to that gig guide and start planning.