Don't judge a book by its cover

Album: A Book Like This
Artist: Angus and Julia Stone
Label: EMI
Release date: 8 September, 2007
Peak chart position/sales: (AUS) #6


RATING: 4/5 stars


Although I have become rather better of late, I often can't bring myself to go along with the whole indie/folk/alternative scene, much as I have been encouraged to. Just because I love Laura Marling, Mumford and Sons, Belle and Sebastian and Villagers, doesn't mean I'm immune to instinctively turning up my nose at artists who I perceive to be too artsy for my taste. I really do have a heart of rock...wait, that didn't come out quite right. Anyway. So Angus and Julia Stone never quite made it onto my playlists; after all, I was already listening to The Postal Service, Florence (*coughhardlycountsasalternativecough*) and Gotye among the aforementioned alternative numbers...that's enough to make me a certified music hipster, right?! But then I heard "Just A Boy" and to say that I changed my mind is a little underwhelming.

Some music sends me racing to my laptop, eager to pick apart the intricacies of the style and expound upon their artful (or disastrous) effect with copious sentences that overflow with enthusiastic imagery and metaphor. Other albums have me bouncing in my seat, struggling to find the right words to express my vehement excitement at having discovered such musical genius (or failure). But every once in a while there comes an album that one don't even have to try to listen to. It just happens, without effort, critique or conscious appreciation and unfolds perfectly in front of your eyes, in a sensitively ordered, pleasingly cohesive, beautifully musical collection of songs. A Book Like This is just such an album.

The album opens with the hypnotic "The Beast" that, after an initially reflective intro, bursts into a gently bouncing tempo that carries the song through verses of Angus Stone's honey-smoked vocals and an electric guitar-centred instrumental that channels Fleetwood Mac. After such an easy listen, I admit I recoiled slightly when Julia opens her mouth on track 2, but sweet harmonies and Paul Simon-esque fingerpicking soften her unapologetic accent and overt huskiness and I breath again. Plaintive strings add a thick layer of atmosphere to melancholy hooks in "Wasted". Sitar-like twanging guitar, brooding piano arpeggios and brushed snares complete the Angus & Julia sound, with a good dose of bluegrass harmonica floating in at intervals, starting with the infectious pop blend that is the perfectly paced "Just A Boy".

Angus' deliveries are by far the standout on the album, emitting the perfectly relaxed beach vibe in "Stranger" or a John Mayer-like cool in the edgier "Jewels and Gold". He has a way of spinning pop with alternative that creates an effortlessly palatable and infinitely accessible style. But Julia holds her own with surprisingly gutsy wails on "Soldier" in a far purer tone that is so breathtaking I can't help but wish she would utilise more often. It is only Julia's style, as well, that could deliver the dry lyrics of the humorously satirical "Hollywood" with enough charisma and beauty to ensure it doesn't slip into pale absurdity but instead shines as a quirky stab at the media.

That fine line between beauty and the ordinary is the line that A&J tread so expertly, pacing their songs with a rare musical intuition. They know just when to bring in a snare rhythm, just when a blast of harmonica will add a shade of blue and just when a harmony will cause the hairs on your neck to defy gravity. Each song waxes and wanes with impeccable structure, never allowing the gently rambling nature of their style to outstay its welcome or become mundane. The album closes with bluesy afterthought "Horse and Cart" after Julia's irresistibly inclusive singalong track "Another Day" and your little bubble of chill-out gently bursts as you realise you're not really on a beach at sunset.

The most perfect thing about A Book Like This is its tangible vibe. Sounding something like a garage jam and a chilled studio session, you can literally hear the creativity draping itself over each track with musical ease and intuitive spontaneity as the songs unfold. Beautifully crafted vocal and instrumental arrangements, paired with a refreshing authenticity. It's a win-win really.

Is it worth my $$$? - The perfect alt/indie introduction for indie-skeptics such as myself, who need a little electric guitar with their whispy vocals and organic poeticism. With such a faultless track listing, A Book Like This is well worth being purchased in its entirety.

Listen to: The Beast, Just A Boy, Hollywood