Carl Cleves

Carl's new offering is a real feast for the ears. The bottom line is that this is a great album by a consistently strong artist. This album stands on its own and would be a great introduction to his music. The eleven tracks penned by Cleves and the beautiful interpretaion of Brel's classic La Chanson des vieux amanitas provide more than enough sonic and lyrical gems to satisfy.

Ben Kettlewell

- Alternative Music Press

Carl's new offering is a real feast for the ears. The bottom line is that this is a great album by a consistently strong artist. This album stands on its own and would be a great introduction to his music. The eleven tracks penned by Cleves and the beautiful interpretaion of Brel's classic La Chanson des vieux amanitas provide more than enough sonic and lyrical gems to satisfy.

Ben Kettlewell

- Alternative Music Press

Carl Cleves is a rarity: a musician whose first language is Flemish (he emigrated to Australia more than twenty years ago) who can write compelling songs in English and who, after years of living in Africa, formed Australian world music group The Hottentots.
In his latest manifestation, he describes himself and vocalist Parissa Bouas as “Australia’s definitive coffee house couple”, which is much better than the usual genres of “folk duo” or singer-songwriters”. The problem is that Cleves and Bouas’s music is genuinely genre-busting. Sure, it is crafted out of folk-roots but somehow Bouas’s vocals, which are sweet, rich and soaring, actually reach beyond the usual folk styles.
This is one album worth owning simply because there are a number of amazing songs. The Bethlehem Bell Ringer is a powerful political cry for some kind of humanity and sanity to return to the violence between Israel and Palestine. Set against the killing of a Christian bellringer in Bethlehem (true story), this song has the resonant chorus, “Oh Jesus, please help Palestine? Turn all that blood back into wine”.
No less powerful is Cleves’s stark account of the Coniston Massacre, the last mayor aboriginal massacre in the Northern Territory, and his melancholy story about black goldminers in south Africa, Way Down in the Mines. This is an original variation on folk and world music.

Bruce Elder
Review SMH 7-8 Jan 2012
- Sydney Morning Herald

Carl Cleves is a rarity: a musician whose first language is Flemish (he emigrated to Australia more than twenty years ago) who can write compelling songs in English and who, after years of living in Africa, formed Australian world music group The Hottentots.
In his latest manifestation, he describes himself and vocalist Parissa Bouas as “Australia’s definitive coffee house couple”, which is much better than the usual genres of “folk duo” or singer-songwriters”. The problem is that Cleves and Bouas’s music is genuinely genre-busting. Sure, it is crafted out of folk-roots but somehow Bouas’s vocals, which are sweet, rich and soaring, actually reach beyond the usual folk styles.
This is one album worth owning simply because there are a number of amazing songs. The Bethlehem Bell Ringer is a powerful political cry for some kind of humanity and sanity to return to the violence between Israel and Palestine. Set against the killing of a Christian bellringer in Bethlehem (true story), this song has the resonant chorus, “Oh Jesus, please help Palestine? Turn all that blood back into wine”.
No less powerful is Cleves’s stark account of the Coniston Massacre, the last mayor aboriginal massacre in the Northern Territory, and his melancholy story about black goldminers in south Africa, Way Down in the Mines. This is an original variation on folk and world music.

Bruce Elder
Review SMH 7-8 Jan 2012
- Sydney Morning Herald