Springtime - Springtime

09-11-2021

A fusion of experimental noise, free-jazz and improvisation, Springtime is the culmination of three renowned, multidisciplinary musicians each known for their distinct styles and sounds. The term 'supergroup' always appeals to the imagination. Experienced members from different bands join forces around a joint project. Its added value varies greatly. In some cases it produces a unique record, just as often it is a quickly forgotten anecdote in the voluminous repertoire of the musicians in question. Australian Springtime unites Gareth Liddiard (Tropical Fuck Storm, The Drones), Jimmy White (Dirty Three) and Chris Abrahams (The Necks). Three experienced hands in the trade, who made the lockdown a virtue to release an album together. It is impossible to put one stamp on this album. Experimental noise rock is interspersed with restrained jazz influences. Opener and first single "Will To Power" initially put us on the wrong track in that regard. The song is a lot more direct than what follows on the rest of the record. Straightforward, Gareth Liddiard builds up to a manic finale in which the singer exposes the seemingly limitless urge to act of the human species. However, if you think you have left for an album that fully presses the accelerator, you are mistaken. After all, Springtime doesn't make music for happy spring days, but it does make music for rainy autumn days. Instrumental intros are given ample time to subtly blossom. Thus, "She Moved Through the Fair" opens with little more than an intimate piano intro. It will be a common thread throughout the album. The trio's musicality will only be interrupted by lyrics when it's really necessary. Not a word is posted too much. When Gareth Liddiard does take the floor, his raw, barbed voice again scratches many a sensitive soul. On the album, the losers of our society are fully in the spotlight. The band asks for comfort and understanding for an alcoholic whose family is still in complete ignorance, for the hunted village idiot who is finally murdered... During the absolute highlight of this record, "The Viaduct Love Suicide", the true story is told of a mother who , in an act of desperation, jumps off a bridge with her disabled son. 'We're turning to air / That no stone can touch / You made my life, son / I love you so much.' An extremely confrontational song ... Both "The Viaduct Love Suicide" and "Jeanie in a Bottle" were written in collaboration with the British poet Ian Duhig, not coincidentally Gareth Liddiard's uncle. That last song also immediately shows why Springtime is probably not a record for the general public. Pianos swell and wash away again, the vocals drag themselves elongated across the song, where the song's finale reflects the chaos of its addicted lead character. Don't get us wrong, it's a very beautiful song, but one that requires your full attention. A lot more accessible is the live cover of Will Oldham's "West Palm Beach". Not that the cover is completely innovative, but the song fits the band like a glove and adds a more accessible note to the album. Springtime serves seven songs on this unique album, none of which clock in under five minutes. Every song gets the musical finish it deserves. With their eponymous collaboration, the band does not seem to have made an album for the general public. However, Springtime is food for foodies who give songs the time and attention to tell their full story. One can rightly speak of an album by a 'super group'.

1 Will to Power (5:40)

2 The Viaduct Love Suicide (5:15)

3 Jeanie in a Bottle (7:38)

4 She Moved Through the Fair (5:31)

5 The Island (7:40)

6 West Palm Beach (5:56)

7 The Killing of the Village Idiot (9:02)

Gareth Liddiard - vocals, guitar

Jimmy White - drums and percussion

Chris Abrahams - piano

Fiona Kitschin - extra vox on 3

Will Oldham - lyrics on 6