MATT CORBY

Into The Flame
Universal Music

Matt Corby has been dominating the charts with new single, Brother, over the past few weeks, and his new EP reflects the top-level musical quality of its first single.

Up until this EP, Corby released three previously refined and generically folky EPs either independently or under Ben Mumford’s Communion label in the UK, after rejecting all offers of Idol commercialism. Enter Into the Flame, written solely by Corby and produced by Tim Carr.

Stylistically, this album is all over the place, but listen to each of the four songs and you’ll realise it doesn’t matter – everything fits, and the songs are of the highest calibre in terms of lyricism and vocal abilities.

Souls A’Fire is a gritty, dirty blues track that evokes imagery of whiskey-swilling in a skanky bar, and shows off Corby’s grumbling earthy vocals. Third track Untitled was written about a letter given to Corby by an ex-girlfriend detailing his misgivings, which he consequently burned without reading. It’s sincere, heart-wrenching, bitter, and all those other cliché terms we use when it is just too difficult to convey the level of feeling put into a song. Last song Big Eyes features a striking duet with Bree Tranter of Middle East fame, who also plays keys throughout the album.

Corby has flipped off previous mentors and influencers and given us something painfully personal – this EP will take him places.

_CHLOE PAPAS

xpressradio by X-Press Magazine

NEWS

DEMOLITION MEN

Steal some green dye for your mohawk and put a safety pin in your eye, because seminal UK punk band Subhumans are heading over for their first ever Australian tour. Featuring the 1981 line-up that recorded their debut EP Demolition War, the band has been busy in recent years with releases through Fat Wreck Chords and their own label Bluurg. They drop into Amplifier for a show on Wednesday, September 12. Tickets go on sale through Oztix on June 15, so you might want to set a reminder...

ANXIETY ATTACK

New Zealand’s first most popular musical pop act named after a Michelle Pfeiffer movie, Ladyhawke, is gearing up for a big 2012 with her second album almost ready to go. Known for her gems My Delirium, Paris Is Burning and Back Of The Van from her ARIA Award winning debut album of 2008, she returns with her new album Anxiety on May 25. She then takes the album out on tour and will play her first WA show since Southbound last year at The Bakery on Tuesday, July 24. Grab your tickets from Handsome Tours from tomorrow, or head to ladyhawkemusic.com for presale information.

[MORE NEWS]

FASHION

GARTH COOK

Countdown To Perth Fashion Week

The inaugural Perth Fashion Week is fast approaching, and established Perth designer Garth Cook is counting down the days to his standalone show on Friday, April 20, at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. Though he’s currently full of enthusiasm for his forthcoming Spring/Summer 2012/13 collection, six months ago it was a different story entirely…