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There is an underlying deep dark thoughtfulness to this self titled debut EP from Brisbane duo The Whiskey Archive which combines the talents of two singer songwriters Jane Cameron and Mark Bentley.
Their style is aptly described on their website as “folk meets grunge”, but like any good whiskey there is much to savour and the more I drink in this CD the more I like it!
Beautifully packaged with the song lyrics included, the recording quality is crisp and clear with a touch of atmospheric reverb in all the right places. It’s very easy on the ears and the arrangements are luscious, melodic and interesting.
The opening track, The Outlaw with whistle and distorted electric guitar makes you feel as if you’ve taken a journey to an alternate wild west movie. This is followed by the harmony and glockenspiel-enriched nu -folkiness of All the Echoes Raise Ghosts.
Although Whiskey Archive perform live as a duo with just voices, tastefully plucked ukulele and guitar, Mark cleverly plays keys as well to round out a few tracks. Some excellent local guest musicians have also been added to include cello, glockenspiel, percussion and accordion.
Mark’s song writing style and voice is all his own but to make a comparison, in a complimentary way, that voice and some of the songs put me in mind me of early Neil Young or the solo material of Bernard Fanning especially in Black Bobs Rivulet.
It is the unusual ukulele playing style and the blend of the two quite different voices that gives Whiskey Archive their unique sound. Mark’s excellent falsetto is a high light in Losing The Night and in contrast Jane’s voice has richness and depth. The Cameron penned Now is a stand out track for me- haunting, sweeping and orchestral and that cello is just to die for. Brisbanites will also love her ode to the city “In My Town”.
They seem to be playing at venues all around Brisbane so check their website or The Folk Rag gig guide for details.
Also available is their Live At The Zoo EP which presents some other material not included here and is the Whiskeys in their more raw state. However, due to running out of space, I think it warrants a review of it’s own!
Both Whiskey Archive CDs are available on iTunes or from their website www.thewhiskeyarchive.com or Bandcamp www.thewhiskeyarchive.bandcamp.com - The Folk Rag
Discography
thewhiskeyarchive EP (2012)
live at the zoo EP (2012)
Photos
Bio
thewhiskeyarchive’s special blend of smooth, smoky, nuevo-folk will intrigue you from the very first sip - tantalising your tastebuds with bluesy flavour, teasing with a hint of alt-country, tipping their hat to the punk and goth influences from Brisbane’s music scene of the 70s and 80s and all with sweet, poignant harmonies that shiver up your spine.
thewhiskeyarchive have emerged quietly over the last year with a string of successful shows at The Zoo, Ric’s Bar, Room 60, Dowse Bar, The End and the Old Museum. The combination of ukulele songstress Jane Cameron and singer/songwriter Mark Bentley create a vocal, musical and songwriting chemistry that is captivating in its honesty, insight and power. In Mark’s words; “To me, the meld of the guitar and six-string uke worked from the first chord. But it was the emotional connection of shared experience that was unanticipated…Jane’s songs and mine came from similar places…the corridors between dreams and reality…the lives led quietly yet strangely. But when we wrote together there was an easy integration of thoughts, mood and layers of ambiguity…it gave us chills and the songs have grown and taken on more meaning every time we play them. In the studio it came together just as easily…the arrangements, added instrumentation and the recording process captured everything we’d heard from the get go, in and around the songs.”
Drawing on influences as varied as Radiohead, REM, The Cure, Died Pretty, The Dirty Three, Townes Van Zandt, Justin Townes Earle, Portishead, The Saints and Paul Kelly, thewhiskeyarchive blend seamlessly into the night, their songs rich with imagery and stories from the deep places of the heart - the places that hurt and heal, that transform both the everyday and the extraordinary into moments that resonate with everyone. thewhiskeyarchive's live performances are as their moniker might suggest - something to be savoured on the palate.
thewhiskeyarchive EP
“…Growing up as we did in and around Brisbane, we had this shared experience of a certain period in Brisbane’s music scene. It was like we spoke the same language musically, and the guitar, the uke, our vocals…it all just clicked…it was exhilarating! We are so excited to be releasing this EP! It has been a whirlwind experience and we’ve had so much fun…” Jane Cameron
Recorded at Black Box studio by Matt Taylor Recording in April 2012, thewhiskeyarchive EP leads you through the catchy stalker pop of all the echoes raise ghosts, dark bluesy ballads the outlaw and black bobs rivulet, hypnotic Beth Gibbons-style folk of now and sweeping storms of sound in losing the night.
thewhiskeyarchive launched both thewhiskeyarchive EP and their live at the zoo EP (recorded in February this year) at Brisbane’s historic Old Museum Building on 18 August 2012.
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