This week's PBS Feature Album is Strange Love from Bleak Squad, the new Naarm/Melbourne four-piece comprised of true Australian art-rock royalty Adalita (Magic Dirt), Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, The Birthday Party), Mick Turner (Dirty Three, Mess Esque) and Marty Brown (Art of Fighting).
Their brooding, noir-rock debut LP, Strange Love is the moving sum of the members involved, one that sees all four members juggle multiple instruments, songwriting, their own idiosyncrasies and - in the case of Adalita and Harvey - lead vocal duties. The nine songs percolate on brooding guitars, slippery basslines, organ drones, Brown’s lyrical drumming, and the unmistakable, illogical fizz of Turner’s guitar squawks. Over it, Adalita and Harvey swap and share tales of love dampened, hope on hold and threaded tendrils of acceptance.
Strange Love is a regal compilation of bruised tunes that swoon and sizzle, while betraying the historic confidence of its members. Opener ‘Lost My Head’, the loping title track and ‘Everything Must Change’ build from sparse rock chugs to a swampy swagger, while the gorgeous ‘World Go to Hell’ and lonesome ‘Blue Signs’ skirt celestial depression. By the time closer ‘Melanie’ collapses in squalls of distortion, something is excised. It’s less a statement from veteran players, than a conjuring of something kinetic and conversational.
Bleak Squad's release accompanies an announcement that the band will play an exclusive Lutruwita/Tasmanian show on Friday October 17 at The Unconformity, one of Australia’s most distinctive and daring cultural festivals, in Queenstown on the state's rugged West Coast. There's also opportunities to catch the group at City Recital Hall in Eora/Sydney on Saturday October 11 with revered pair of Ed Kuepper and Jim White for what is undoubtedly one of the great double bills of the year. And Naarm/Melbourne's Recital Centre on Thursday October 16.
Tune in all this week to hear tracks from Strange Love and PBS Members have the chance to win a copy of the album on vinyl: simply email your name and membership number to before midnight Sunday August 31.
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TOP TRACKS WE'RE LOVING THIS WEEK
Palm Springs - 'Infinity 69'
Cold Hands Warm Heart - 'mouth mist' (live for NTS)
El Michels Affair - 'Mágica' feat. Rogê
Mondo Freaks - 'Turn This Love Around'
citrine - 'forever'
Lyder - 'Fenn'
Aldonna - 'Talk Bad'
The Belair Lip Bombs - 'Hey You'
Gordi - 'Head Rush'
Nigel Wearne - 'I Don't Want This Rage Anymore'
