This week's feature album, Maybe It'll Be Beautiful, is the second release from Melbourne-based violinist, vocalist and composer Emma Kelly under their moniker Happy Axe.
Emma is a prolific collaborator, lending her beautiful string arrangments to the new Big Scary album and her voice to the Mindy Meng Wang and Tim Shiel EP. On this album, Emma elicits the support of fellow Melbourne musicians Braille Face, Butternut Sweetheart, Aphir and Arrom, plus the mixing expertise of Tim Shiel.
The music of Happy Axe is dream-pop in the truest sense. The roots are deep in the ground, head and shoulders are in the clouds. The album's gentle but generous charm reflects Emma's own curious and compassionate nature, and each song's rich sound palette - of found sounds, strings and things - provides the perfect foil for Emma's light but deeply captivating voice.
"This album is about a lot of things: childhood memories, childhood headspaces, old family stories. Listening to my feelings again after a period of being too logical. It's about rejecting the rationalisation of everything in my life and learning to put my trust in romance and magic again.
"It's for people who like being swept up in experiences, because I love music that does that for me. My hope is that this music reminds people of nature, discovery, and being outside at night."
- Emma / Happy Axe
Maybe It'll Be Beautiful is out now. PBS members can tune in to the station all week for a chance to win a copy of the album.
TOP TRACKS WE'RE LOVING
30/70 - 'Tastes Like Freedom'
Les Filles de Illighadad - 'Surbajo'
Cromby - 'Qué Sientes ft. Tee Amara (Nicola Cruz Remix)'
Ov Pain - 'Daytripping'
Peter Knight & Australian Art Orchestra - 'The Plains'
Amyl and the Sniffers - 'Guided by Angels'
Ron S Peno - 'Do The Understanding'
Torres - 'Thirstier'
The Ugly Kings - 'The Devil Comes With A Smile'
