Today I was lucky enough to review the impending album, Holiday, of an up and coming, unique Melbourne artist.
Now, seeing as I’m the type of person who sticks to the top 50 global tracks as a ritual, you may think me throwing the words unique around means next to nothing, but trust me, Hue Blanes is the embodiment of the word.
When initially listening to all 14 tracks, you may come to the conclusion that there is no diversity within the LP. However, when you come to the realisation that every track is the product of only his voice and a piano, you suddenly realise just how assorted the album is.
To me, the album kind of represents an oxymoron. Light and dark. Upbeat yet mellow. Even the lyrics, especially that of In My Heart, are full of opposites such as “Don’t be lazy…but just relax.”
By releasing an LP full of songs that only feature two instruments, the piano and his voice, the listeners are able to truly appreciate and relate to the lyrics. Lyrics of which are both deceptively simple yet troubled and captivating. The songs and the words in them further link with its audience by focusing on simple topics that relate to the ordinary. I’d describe them as almost ‘suburban’ issues.
To give you a run down on the very darkly wonderful album, he begins with Intro, a short dark, yet inviting, piano composition with no vocals which sets the mood of what is to come.
Then moving straight onto In My Heart’ Blanes delivers a very soothing piece. “I’ve got two voices…in my head”. This particular song made me, and I believe will do the same to you all, want to close my eyes, smile and simply relax.
The first few songs on Holiday continue to do this. Delivering compositions of jazz, mixed with a little classical, but continuously being slow and strangely sensual. While he does play with the tempo here and there, it never goes as far as to make someone want to get up and dance. Just to relax in the moment.
Of course, like most albums, not every song captured my fancy. Natalie and Four Leaf Clover in my opinion seemed too slow and repetitive, and even the lyrics were too depressing. However only a small inconvenience to the rest of the stripped back album.
The highpoint of Holiday would have to be Holiday of Love funnily enough. The song felt like a combination of the old mixed with the new. Definitely a track I could one day hear on the radio connecting to me on a very personal level. “All I know is what I hope to be…I’ll fix all my anxieties with a holiday.” The lyrics have so much depth and meaning. Probably the most modern track on the LP, yet still only a piano and his voice.
Just as the album began, Blanes ends with track 14, Outro, another simple piano composition, bringing Holiday to a very calm yet troubled end.
All in all, a very unique, bleak and poetic assortment of songs which tell a story of loneliness, despair and the difficult search for meaning amongst the everyday tedium of being human.
With the vinyl release of Holiday set for April 14, Blanes will support the work with a strictly limited run of intimate shows across Ballarat, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Mullumbimby in April.
Set to accompany the vinyl is a set of drawings from artist Bernard Caleo, which embody his interpretations of each song.
Until April 14, track 12 Fernando, has already been released with a very voyeuristic music video which can be seen below:
Rating for Holiday: 8/10
Holiday Tour Dates:
Friday April 14, 2017 – Minerva’s Books and Pot of Gold Collectables, Ballarat
Saturday April 15, 2017 – The Jazzlab, Brunswick (with special guest Joe O’Connor)
Thursday April 20, 2017 – Venue 505, Surry Hills Sydney (with special guest Brian Campeau)
Friday April 21, 2017 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra (with special guest Alice Cottee)
Saturday April 29, 2017 – Drill Hall, Mullumbimby NSW (with special guest Emily Lubitz from Tinpan Orange)
Are you planning on attending? Let us know by commenting below.
– Written by Deli Ratnakirthi
