http://beat.com.au/review.php?id=769
Duckdive
Stories For Another Day
(Laughing Outlaw)
Sleeptalker is one of those rare acoustic gems so pure and blissful that it leaves you with an overwhelming feeling of tranquillity. As the opening song on the Melbourne band’s brilliant debut album Stories For Another Day, it provides a perfect snapshot of their mesmerising folk-pop. Marisa Brown’s songwriting provides a special insight into the human condition with lyrics like “in the moments between sleep and wakefulness, I can pretend the world’s not quite so heartless/cos you are talking in your sleep again, you’re telling me things that you would never say”.
The eight-piece band’s musicianship is sublime; Stories For Another Day incorporates the talents of Brown (vocals, guitar), Greg Bricknell (guitar), Rowan Austin (trumpet, glockenspiel), Kelly Lane (violin), Chris Norgate (drums), Tim Woods (bass), Erica Menting (b/v) and Andrew McClelland (harmonica). The songs’ inspirations emanate from the band’s travels, their feelings of displacement and consequent paths to self-discovery. Brown captures it all in her detailed accounts, which flow in waves of optimism and soft trickles of sadness.
The shimmering piano and glockenspiel melody of Invisible Housemate floats alongside Brown’s sweet, gentle vocals. Brown’s stories are humorous and charming as her sincerity shines through on many occasions such as in 26 Stations: “I lost my cardigan somewhere between Edgeware Road and Shaftesbury Avenue - but at least I found you”. The listener isn’t spared any time to cringe at lyrics as the words are transported with such earnest and vibrant melodies that draw you right into their stories.
Album closer It’ll All Be OK contains the album’s most poignant lyrics as Brown sings “Tonight we play to the smallest crowd - but maybe this is what it’s all about/just to sing, and not care who’s listening”. The lyrics refer to their joy of performing rather than any lack of ambition because Duckdive’s debut is, quite simply, one of the finest indie-folk albums you’ll hear this year. It’s a seldom occasion to hear a band evoke such dreamlike beauty in their real life tales; Stories For Another Day is the beginning of something special.
CHRISTINE LAN