Let’s be honest, the Australian music scene hasn't had
many world-beaters. You shout AC/DC at me but everyone knows deep down that
they're Scottish born and contribute to the rich history of Scottish music.
Others shout Gotye, although he's from Bruges. Then some shout Men at Work,
yeah... Truth is, Australia's music scene has been slowly developing for years.
They finally have bands that can cater for American and European audiences.
There's The Bombay Royale, Nick Cave, Cut Copy, Abbe May, Tame Impala, and The Cannanes - the latter band being our focus today. We take a listen to their
11th studio album Howling At All Hours. Known for their indie rock aesthetics
and historic 80s free for all, The Cannanes are regarded as a quintessential indie
band. Some have gone far enough to call them 'the one true indie band'. In
their 29 year history, The Cannanes have never signed to a major, releasing
singles on the infamous K Records and their albums on Ajax - among other small
labels.
Howling At All Hours describes the day-to-day life of The
Cannanes. There’s no money money money drugs drugs drug on this album. It's all
about Australia, Sydney, the inland residences, and everything twee from the
land down under. The Cannanes are like their K Records companions Beat
Happening. All things twee and indie pop, like lo-fidelity recordings, sweet
melodies, and geographical references galore. They never relate to their underground
status on album form, because if they did, then The Cannanes would have
hundreds of songs about how unsuccessful they actually are in their homeland.
It's a completely different story in the states, and an invisible story in the
UK. Reports of Kurt Cobain being a fan of The Cannanes are true, something that
will make the average American kid listen just for the sentimental value of a Cobain
like music taste. They throw out 29 years of history each time they release music. It's as
if they're on a merry-go-round of indie pop, without the inclination to get
off. Criminally underrated music is in its plenty, and The Cannanes are
certainly one of the few bands in existence that have survived for so long with
such anonymity on the D.I.Y circuit.
"Stephanie" opens the album with lyrics that
suggest acknowledged history: "Well here we go again." The Cannanes
have been acclaimed in the past for many reasons, but not so for their lyrics.
Howling At All Hours has emphasis on the song-writing of Frances Gibson. The
second track "Not Camping Out" tells a travelling tale about the
streets of Sydney: "Sleazy sun kissed blondes, jeans white T shirts, stuck
in the traffic half way down King Street." The imagery of Sydney’s
populated streets continues with some youthful rebellion: "You wrote in
the pavement 'people suck', now it’s paved over, we don't forget." The
Cannanes are all about the story, the instrumental comes after. For a band of
29 years’ experience, you expect production qualities to be rather good, well
The Cannanes blow that out of the water. In the past this band has released
some raw quality recordings suited to Jad Fair's growing lo-fi discography,
however Howling At All Hours is on the
opposite side of the spectrum. It has lead guitar better than The Strokes' Comedown
Machine on "A Bigger Splash", and a better delivery of lyrics than
Adele could ever do with "Countryside". The Australian imagery
continues on this track, with Stephen O'Neil singing: "Why's everyone
wearing surf wear when the seas 200k from here? These are not my people and
this is not my tribe, 'go live in the city' everybody cries."
Howling At All Hours has its weak moments, just like every
album. "I Woke Up In Hargreaves Mall" takes on traditional folk with
synthesizers and strange vocals. Credit to Gibson for attempting the Dolly
Collins vocal, it just comes off a little too strained. The Cannanes are not
known for their vocals, in fact, indie pop is renowned for its half arsed
vocalists that don't care about being in tune, and it’s what puts such emphasis
on the lyrics. You're not focussing on how accurate a vocal is to a melody with
indie pop, you're listening for those lyrics and the instrumental that goes
with it.
At 31 minutes, Howling At All Hours is the right length for
this genre bracket of music. It's not too extensive musically, after 29 years
The Cannanes are not about to go all Magic Band and experiment with jazz or
post-rock. They keep it simple and even negotiate a few single-esque material
here and there. "Fawn Summer" is about as chart worthy as The
Cannanes will get. It has sweet progressions, adorable backing vocals, and a
noteworthy lead guitar riff. Its predecessor is a punk song at heart. The
instrumental could rival any Mission of Burma release, and when sung by Gibson
"Melting Moments" instantly blooms in to something less sinister than
punk. It connects to "Fawn Summer" without any distinction, they're
in complete control.
What we have here is a band fully in their element. 100%
creative freedom with the song writing that made Nick Cave one of the most
celebrated Australians in music history. "Absence" features harmonic
background vocals and brass instrumentation, taking the band one step further
in their quest for something more than rock. It has a simple refrain, sung by
Gibson: "Walking round the driveway at the front of the house." The
Cannanes have never given up on their morals. They may have experimented in the
past, but Howling At All Hours takes their history and throws up a modern
release for fans of The Magnetic Fields instead of The Moldy Peaches. "Is It Because I'm Bleak?" has a forceful synthesizer running through the
core, with spacious drum beats controlling the rest of the instrumentation.
O'Neil sings a truly bleak vocal, making this songs inclusion worthwhile.
Howling At All Hours ensures continued success for The Cannanes.
Having been part of the K Records collective in the 80s only emphasises their
dominant C86 influence. Bands like Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill, and Tender Trap
are proud to call The Cannanes their older and more experienced big brother. Yo
La Tengo and co may be more famous and have the backing of huge independent
labels, but The Cannanes have arguably released as good, and some might say
better music over the years. Howling At All Hours certainly trumps Yo La
Tengo's Fade which was released earlier in the year. The Cannanes have excelled
for years in releasing quality albums, but none as contagious and memorable as
Howling At All Hours.
~Eddie
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