by Ned Collette
Old Chestnut is the stunning new double album from Melbourne/Berlin singer songwriter Ned Collette.
A truly accomplished work, a gorgeous dark folk opus, fleshed out in lush but precise and sparkling instrumentation thanks to a band of extraordinary collaborators. Featuring Joe Talia (who co-produced the album with Collette), Ben Bourke, plus Alexander Garsden, cellist Anthea Caddy, and piano from The Necks’, Chris Abrahams, on the album’s monolithic centrepiece, June.
Collette says that Old Chestnut is the first album he has made that “feels like the albums I always wanted to make. It’s just messy enough, elaborate enough, simple enough, improvised and collaborative enough… ”
It does feel like the album is an elevation, and that with it, Collette has attained a level of songcraft that transcends his already impressive back catalogue. With snippets written as far back as 2008 and 4 years since his last album release, it’s been a long journey. The resultant work is cohesive and articulate in a way few albums are. A mixture of melancholy balladry interwoven with daedal and often delicate instrumentals that not only frame and anchor the songs but beautifully showcase the calibre of Collette’s arrangements and musicianship. This is the record that will etch the name Ned Collette into the lexicon of great Australian songwriters.
THIS WEEK'S FEATURED TRACKS
Nana Tuffour - 'Asamando'
Erin Will Be Mad - 'Emergency'
Cat Power - 'Woman (feat. Lana Del Rey)'
The All Seeing Hand - 'Geronimo III'
DJ Koze - 'Nein König Nein'
Bad Sav - 'Hens Teeth'
Jako Maron - 'Maloya Valsé chok 1'
Butcher Brown - 'Lagos'
Adam Simmons Creative Music Ensemble with Afrolankan Drumming System - 'Train - Nurawa Eliya to Ella'
This week's Top 10:
