TINPAN ORANGE – THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE
It’s been two years since Death, Love And Buildings had the underground folk scene in a flurry (well, as flurried as it gets), and now the Melbourne trio come breezing by with their third album – the ideal soundtrack to daybed-lounging. Led by a brother/sister duo who swap vocal duties a la George, Tinpan Orange’s delicate set could blow away in a strong wind if it wasn’t for powerful production and Emily Lubitz’s one-in-a-million voices.
Again as with George’s Katie Noonan, Emily’s tracks far outshine her brother Jesse’s. His are not inherently worse, it’s just that her voice will entangle you first (Renee Geyer seems to agree somewhat possessively: “if my voice had a baby it would be hers”). The openers Romeo Don’t Come and the title track are floaty folk done brilliantly, although as a welcome surprise the rest of the album is laced with gypsy mandolins, flamenco guitars and country melodies (oddly enough in an ode to Frida Kahlo). The single Lovely keeps up with its namesake, but only just stands out from the other tracks that make up this vast landscape of languid yet solid songwriting.
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