Angus & Julia Stone
Angus & Julia Stone
(Universal)
Three stars
On first listening to the third album by the Aussie siblings I placed Julia in the Kate Bush category, her little-girl-lost voice – with hints of Nanci Griffith on the better tracks – just didn't do it for me. But repeated listening reveals the pair to be accomplished songwriters and when brother Angus takes the mic the whole package just works. This is easy-on-the-ear soft rock, with a couple of standout tracks and no real filler. Top of the pile is the quite gorgeous, Josh Rouse-esque Grizzly Bear, which boasts of a slinky soul groove. Other Things also shines with its mid-tempo shuffle and quirky chorus. Julia's thin voice comes into its own in Death Defying Acts – a Beth Gibbens and Portishead impression, minus the scratchy edge. The first of two bonus tracks, Do Without, harks back to Other Things in its repetitive structure, while the closing All This Love hints at The Drums' I Wanna Go Surfing in its joyful simplicity. A doubter at first, there's more than enough here to warrant a dig about in their back catalogue.
