Category: 1/2/3/4

I’ve never met DC Cardwell, but through listening to his hook laden, catchy pop songs, I know we’d be talking for hours and hours. There is a wonderful distillation of melodic guitar pop from the ages compressed into his music that will have you humming for days. Born in Northern Ireland and now based in glorious Tassie, he’s back with a cracking new album Crystal Set – all the instruments played by either himself or his son Samuel.

John Encarnacao is a writer, multi-instrumentalist and all round talented and super friendly chap. I’m a fan of his early work with Smelly Tongues, The Native Strip, his excellent curation for his label China Pig and he’s back with a new album as Warmer which will be a highlight of 2020 for me. Forged away from home and from his usual cohort, he teamed up with David Carter in Hobart and many students or ex-students of the Tasmania Conservatorium for a stunning slice of orchestral folk pop. Highly recommended plus stunning new releases from Sweet Whirl, Pop Filter, The Electorate and Adelaide label Drongo Tracks with a killer new compilation.

Christine Jane’s eclectic tastes and world wide travels lead her to find her sound: ‘cinematic blues’. Her songs are deeply personal and reflect on loss, love, listlessness and the shadows of despair. Her latest single, written on a tiny guitar (called a guitalelele) and using eclipse mints and hands scratching demin jeans for percussion, sees Christine Jane reinventing herself in the strange space betwixt trysts. As well, excellent new releases from Grant Lee-Phillips and Dehd.

A Lilac Decline is the anagrammatic musical pseudonym of visual artist Cecilia Danell. Originally from Sweden but resident in Ireland for over a decade, Danell is a member of fellow Rusted Rail acts Cubs and Loner Deluxe. Her latest single, Sunset Song, is a lush and dreamy listen awash with spacey synth lines. As well, two great Australian songwriters, Nick Batterham and Josh Meadows combine their powers as The Bell Streets, driving uptempo pop from Sydney trio Key Out and the return of Pure X.

Justine Wahlin is difficult to categorise. She sits somewhere between alt folk/country and Roots but regularly seems to slip through the cracks to wander on her own sonic adventures, much like an octopus will sneak out to sample tasty morsels from the neighbouring tank but be back before dawn. She joins us in session – plus excellent tracks from Alison Forbes, Omaloma and Natalie Greffel.