Angus & Julia Stone – Angus & Julia Stone (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Angus & Julia Stone – Angus & Julia Stone (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:00:13 minutes | 686 MB | Genre: Folk, Indie
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Discograph

The brother and sister duo, Angus & Julia Stone present their third, self titled album. After taking a break as a creative pair to focus on individual albums, the two artists are back together again with their latest record from American Recordings. Producer Rick Rubin comments on the album and the siblings, “This album is extraordinary; Angus and Julia are truly unique musicians. They are authentic and pure people who do things from the heart. I’ve never worked with anyone like them before.”

Australian sibling folk-rock duo Angus & Julia Stone broke big with their 2010 sophomore album, Down the Way. The album, which debuted at number one in Australia, took home five ARIA music awards, including Album of the Year. On the heels of their success, the famously shy duo began work on a follow-up, but eventually shelved the idea in favor of taking some time off to pursue solo work. However, coaxed back into the studio by super-producer Rick Rubin, the Stone siblings eventually returned to their ruminative, melodic, and often melancholy collaborations with 2014’s Angus & Julia Stone. In many ways, what you see is pretty much what you get from the Stones, with their shaggy hair and hippie-chic clothes matching their penchant for acoustic introspection. Indeed, there aren’t too many surprises here, with the siblings sticking to their formula: intimate, folky songs with poignant lyrics that usually bend toward the darker, sadder aspects of life. What commands your attention, however, is the way that Julia’s cherubic, sandpaper doll of a voice contrasts with Angus’ more clear-toned and casual vocal style. They also display a knack for coming up with lyrics that contain bittersweet, poetic juxtapositions, always hinting at deeper, more complex emotions. On “Other Things,” duetting in clipped unison phrases, they sing “Go put the cat outside/’Cos we’ve got things to do,” and “There’s a plane in the sky/If those people fall they will die/I’ve got other things on my mind.” It’s this kind of focus on the ennui, the mundane tragedy that permeates many people’s daily lives, that works as creative fodder for Angus & Julia Stone. Ultimately, it’s that ennui, combined with the pair’s heartbreaking sense of melody, that makes this album a delightfully sad yet engaging listen. –Matt Collar

Tracklist:

01. Angus & Julia Stone – A Heartbreak (04:16)
02. Angus & Julia Stone – My Word For It (04:08)
03. Angus & Julia Stone – Grizzly Bear (04:08)
04. Angus & Julia Stone – Heart Beats Slow (04:35)
05. Angus & Julia Stone – Wherever You Are (03:41)
06. Angus & Julia Stone – Get Home (04:31)
07. Angus & Julia Stone – Death Defying Acts (05:13)
08. Angus & Julia Stone – Little Whiskey (03:36)
09. Angus & Julia Stone – From The Stalls (05:09)
10. Angus & Julia Stone – Other Things (02:59)
11. Angus & Julia Stone – Please You (05:40)
12. Angus & Julia Stone – Main Street (05:35)
13. Angus & Julia Stone – Crash And Burn (06:36)

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