Review Summary: Australia's sweethearts try for democracy - but really, sisters are doing it for themselves.
The charming Stone siblings - Angus and Julia - have spent the last few years of their young musical careers caught up in an unexpected surge of acclaim and hype. Their debut album,
A Book Like This, was filled with vulnerable, innocent tales, and there was enough for it to be a passably enjoyable release; but it was hard to deny something missing throughout the album, despite all the adoration. What exactly? It's difficult to pinpoint. A certain spark, more vivid imagination, wider brushstrokes. Whatever it may have been, the Stones have certainly found it.
Upon crossing the seas to perform at international festivals, they began recording in both Cornwall in the U.K. and Brooklyn, New York; subsequently broadening their artistic horizons as a result. A little older and wiser, they have returned with their sophomore album,
Down the Way. All of the band's problems haven't exactly been solved overnight, but we nevertheless find the band in the midst of their finest material to date.
Firstly, let's not go overboard with the expansion and development of the Stones' sound: we aren't talking quite to the extents of horns and symphony orchestras just yet. The lyrical work, too, sees the two still looking misty-eyed at some pretty dry stories, from hanging out in clothing stores (Julia) to getting stoned to Neil Young (Angus). It's all forgivable, however - after all, it's all about the final product in terms of sound and atmosphere. Each sibling has notably strengthened their own individual voices that thusly work far better on an individual basis than their previous outings, which would often see the complete opposite, with one heavily relying on the other.
Julia's still a “delicate flower”-style singer with an airy, Joanna Newsom-esque voice. And yet, she blossoms ever so brightly throughout
Down the Way - not to start up any sibling rivalry whatsoever, but her own songs easily outgun Angus' in spite of being outnumbered. Take, for instance, the soaring, atmospheric opening number "Hold On". Complete with one of the record's best choruses, humming electric guitar and an incessant, thudding drum pattern, it is a truly blissful track to experience and an outstanding example of the band’s strong attempts to branch out. Full of shimmering beauty and warmth, the bar is set dangerously high for the rest of the album. Thankfully, she keeps up her end of the deal with consistency: other highlights include the summery "Walk It Off", lovelorn ballad "I’m Not Yours" and delightful lead single "And The Boys". It’s as if she has garnered a newfound confidence in every last syllable uttered, and undoubtedly the album itself is all the better for it.
For what it’s worth, older brother Angus doesn’t fade into the distance entirely. His role on
Down the Way is reserved to the group’s tracks that are either more rock-influenced or of the roots-y inclination. It doesn’t always work in his favour – Yellow Brick Road is repetitive, indulgent and overlong (thanks, in no small part, to a unnecessary guitar solo at the tail-end). Still, the weary traveller has his moments to glisten – try the simplistic puppy-love pleasure of "Big Jet Plane"; or the groovy "On The Road", which was more than likely conceived following extensive listens to
Harvest. His guitar work stands out with a lot more vibrancy and texture, possibly due to his work as Lady of the Sunshine (his solo album, Smoking Gun, was released around this time last year). Acoustically, the gorgeous "Santa Monica Dream" is his finest moment – proof that all you really need for folk music is a handful of chords and truckloads of sentiment. Meanwhile, "Black Crow", an early Angus highlight, adds an electric liveliness to proceedings that surprisingly doesn’t pick up anywhere else to this extent.
At over an hour in length,
Down the Way unfortunately overstays its welcome and fades away rather than burns out. It might end on a low note, but let’s not forget the highs on record here are practically on level with the clouds. Here’s hoping we can see these two progress into something a little more evened out further down the track. This will do for now, though.
