First EP from Australian brother and sister duo.
Siblings from Newport, Australia, this duo have already received critical acclaim, although until recently both performed as solo artists. Their sparse musical arrangements leave of the listener's attention firmly on their shared vocals. Julia's voice is the first to be heard on the opening track of this EP, 'Private Lawns'. The slight twang to Julia's voice elevates the song beyond the boundaries of simple folk, and gives the song an edgier feel, with Julia's voice nestling gently alongside a low-key Regina Spektor.
The following track, 'Mango Tree' is performed by Angus, his voice sweet and boyish, makes his delivery seem more intimate than Julia's. The song is a jaunty slice of innocence and is wracked with nostalgia and innocence, and reminiscent of Willy Mason's 'Where the Humans Eat'. 'All Of Me', Julia's subsequent vocal outing is a much more fragile song than the aloof 'Private Lawns'. Here she is lovelorn and lonely "hungry for you my love, I made it through another day in my cold room". The air of despair to this song helps to earmark Julia's emotional range, something both artists manage expertly throughout this EP. 'Paper Aeroplane' is another song performed by Angus. Less emotion fuelled than its predecessor it still manages to maintain the sense of overcoming emotional wreckage, "I spilt the paint across the page just trying to spell your name".
'Babylon' is not a cover of the dire David Gray song thankfully, but another folk lullaby of fleeing the shackles of a familiar town with a blissful love, performed by Angus. The final track 'Chocolates & Cigarettes' is the least outstanding of the six, although is by no means a poor song. It's sense of time fleeting and lyrics such as "still too long to fail", suggest its theme is regret, and here the song is Martha Wainwright-esque.
This EP is a subtle, simple and emotionally fragile collection of songs, which indicates a sparse approach to writing and recording can be equally, if not more effective than a pristine production featuring an array of instruments. Angus & Julia Stone have stripped music to its core and shown its bones, in this wonderful acoustic selection.