Agnes Kain

Listen up fans of Angus & Julia Stone because I think I may have just found the next duo that you may want to add to your collection. Made up of Chanelle Afford and Stefan Simunic really announce themselves with their second feature album, ‘Across The Ocean Grey’… an album so good that they really are the next big thing in Australian folk music.

It is albums like this that music is all about. Written by the duo in airports, on busses and trains as they travelled and then recorded in a London flat it is little wonder that ‘Across The Ocean Grey’ has such a personality to it.

There are no bad tracks here at all and as soon as you start hearing opening track ‘A Great Idea’ you will see why I referenced Angus & Julia Stone earlier, By the time you get to second track, ‘Set You Apart’ which calls upon the old-time folk sound you will well and truly have fallen in love with Agnes Kain.

Next comes a string of beautiful tracks including ‘The Gentleman From Paris’, the thought provoking – ‘Gideon’ and the piano driven ‘Missing’. Even when Agnes Kain reach for a faster pace on ‘Like Sirens’ it still ends up sounding amazing.

‘We Crash Into The Sea’ sounds wonderful as a duet while ‘Sad Smiles And Goodbyes’ comes across as a break-up song with a cheery outlook… a really great songwriting feat. The album is then closed off with two slow and beautiful tracks ‘Thieves’ and ‘Into The Night Flying’ which both would have sounded right at home in films like ‘Somersault’ or ‘The Tree’.

‘Across The Ocean Grey’ is a beautiful album that truly showcases one of the best folk acts to come out of Australian for a while.
RATING:- ***** (out of 5) - Cross Culture

Sometimes all it takes is one listen to fall in love with a song, which is all it took for me to become smitten with 'All Time High'. I discovered Agnes Kain on my very first radio shift and it was such a sumptuous sound, like a happy folk version of Arcade Fire jammed into a duo…. yep, you'd think it was a Seabellies-size band on here.

They've had a couple of recordings floating around, and it's finally been compiled into one album entitled Keep Walking Or I'll Kill You which is a highly recommended listen. - Who the bloody hell are they?

I love this band. Plain and simple. Their song-writing reminds me of other great Melbourne based acts such as Architecture In Helsinki and Art Of Fighting. Maybe there's something in the Yarra? Perhaps it's because all their band names begin with the first letter of the alphabet? Whatever it is, there's a feeling that lifts my heart up a notch or two when i immerse myself in their tunes.

Chanelle Afford and Stefan Simunic have been writing together for sometime after growing up in the same neighbourhood in Sydney. The release of their debut album Keep Walking or I'll Kill You, through Half A Cow Records, marks a step forward for the band which, despite the wicked title, was apparently born of love. And it's love that I feel... Amidst the sonic wash of acoustic guitar, piano and mandolin, there are sweetly rising melodies that capture the essence of what this band is all about; simple compositions and arrangements weaving perfectly imperfect little embroideries. - The Sandwich Club

Chanelle and Stefan are Agnes Kain, and they're just about to release a very sweet indie-pop album. It's full of some lovely moments, and one in particular hits a chord with me. Favourite is my catch of the day today. - Zan Rowe, triple j

In the time-honored tradition of Blondie, Bettie Serveert, Molly Hatchet, et al, take note: Agnes Kain is a band, specifically, duo Chanelle Afford and Stefan Simunic. Having grown up on the same street in a small town on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, Afford and Simunic play together with the kind of ease that befits old friends, creating music that is loose and intuitive, heartfelt without being soppy or sentimental. There is a folksiness to Agnes Kain's sound, owing to the preponderance of unplugged instruments - acoustic guitar, piano, mandolin, and glockenspiel feature in most tracks here - but also because of the band's lo-fi aesthetic. Like many artists nowadays, Agnes Kain recorded Keep Walking Or I'll Kill You at home, but instead of trying to make an album that sounds as if it was constructed under controlled studio conditions, with walls of seamless guitars and layered vocals, Keep Walking is what it is: a collection of pretty songs recorded on the fly, between thunderstorms, the roar of airplanes, and a housemate who vacuums incessantly. - Larry O. Dean

It's weird. I've been buying music lately.

This shouldn't be a rare occasion, but sadly it is. I'll save the whole music downloading debate for another day, but something's not right, that's for sure. So whether it's an act of redemption or simply a reaction to the incompleteness of illegal markets, I've been doing my bit and supporting some local artists.

Agnes Kain are one of those artists and I am now the proud owner of their debut album, Keep Walking or I'll Kill You. Don't be fooled by the dark title, this is an album filled with warm moments and joyful melodies. Agnes Kain are a Sydney duo who like to keep things simple. The album was recorded in their bedroom and at no time do you feel like you're being bombarded with excessive production. It is in this open environment that the beauty of these songs really shines through.

The powerful female vocals are wrapped in an array of instrumentation, from violins to glockenspiels, transforming their memorable melodies into outstanding pop music. They find the perfect balance between depth and simplicity, producing a light-hearted atmosphere and that seems to float by as you get caught up in it. I'll certainly be coming back to this album any time I feel like chilling out.

Put them on, wait for your smile to arrive and then just relax. - Peter Watts

We live in cynical time. There's no point attempting to deny it. With that in mind, it seems obvious that music of quality that also holds a sense of joy and innocence would be increasingly hard to come by.

Which is why Sydney based indie/folk duo, Agnes Kain's debut album, Keep Walking Or I'll Kill You is such a rare find. This refreshingly whimsical album has a definite beauty. It is both comfortable and familiar while retaining a sense of originality.

The album has a very organically natural sound which I suppose would make sense considering the entire thing was apparently recorded in the spare room of the duo's home.

The standout for me would have to be Puddles & Mud, a track which sets up the album beautifully with its simplistic storytelling style of song writing and bright airy vocals. Others include All Time High, Off With The Faeries and Our New Happy Life.

Despite the bright cheerful nature of the record, the album is not without its more serious moments, showing that Agnes Kain are willing to venture into slightly darker areas, a theme that may become more prominent in future releases. But for the time being at least, it's their light, somewhat naive sensibility that has me charmed.

I'll be honest, in general I'm not a huge fan of female vocals but Chanelle Afford might be the key to changing my mind. Keep Walking or I'll Kill You is a beautiful and memorable debut from a duo that I think have the ability to do great things. Even if you're not a fan of the genre, I suggest giving it a listen. After all, what have you got to lose? - Kieren "Lesley" Webster