by Grand Salvo
Take a journey to the seaside with Grand Salvo and his latest album Sea Glass.
While the forecast is uncertain, the contemplative atmosphere is assured.
Paddy Mann’s seventh and most polished album to date is true to the theme-driven tendencies of his moniker.
His reflective imagery and songwriting prowess is on full show here, displaying a wisdom beyond his years and bushranger beard.
This excursion begins with a preface of swirling seas, instantly transporting the audience to the coast.
And then it’s eight fully fleshed out arrangements, every note accounted for, every lyric a brushstroke.
With such attention to detail, Paddy’s vocal prowess is neatly nestled among a female chorus, strings, piano, woodwind, bass, a surging ocean - you can almost see the circling seagulls.
It’s impossible not to be swept up in the currents of melody and harmonies of 'All Those Stars'. Mann’s lyrics are clear and deliberate, like a brush painting the picture to the ensuing seascape.
The calm before the storm descends in 'The Unquiet Tide', until a wall of sound brings the emotional high point of the album, 'In The Water', heightened further by the use of non-Western instruments.
Then as the front passes, 'The Black Coast' leave the sea calm again - back to glass.
Like wine, Mann is only getting better with time, and as he hits his strides on Sea Glass it feels like there’s more to come from his deep well of talent - from the seaside but elsewhere too.
Sea Glass is out now on Mistletone.
Grand Salvo will play the Bridge Hotel in Castlemaine on December 15th.
Review by Richard McLeish
THIS WEEK'S FEATURED TRACKS
Marlon Williams - 'Beautiful Dress'
Easy Browns - 'Mammal Love'
Dwiki Dharmawan - 'Tjampuhan'
aYia - 'Slow'
Stringtronics - 'Tropicola'
upsidedownhead - 'Get Low ft. Ric Rufio'
Denise Le Menice - 'Heart'
The Pinheads - 'Not Like You'
Vertigo - 'Neglect'
This week's Top 10:
