It’s time to celebrate not only the blog’s 6th birthday, but also the chance to say a wholehearted “fuck you!” as we finally leave 2020 behind. It’s been a deeply challenging year, and the road ahead is still rough and uncertain, but if there’s anything we can take away from our time in quarantine, it is learning to better appreciate the little things in life. Even a music industry left battered by the impact of Covid and incompetent governments has still been able to produce some incredible releases for us to cling on to. Before we put this crazy year in the rear view mirror, let’s take one last look back at the music that helped us through it all. Continue reading
Everything is a beautiful contradiction. The debut EP from Melbourne based artist Reuben Apirana, released under his musical moniker Camp 8, has got to be one of the finest EPs I’ve ever heard. Written following a devastating break up, each track serves as a window into a different part of the journey. Starting with the seeds of doubt that something is wrong, through all the loss and anger and pain of the breakup itself, closing with the fresh doubt that comes with new love forming and finding the courage to trust again. Every aspect of the story feels suitably cinematic with its entrancingly emotive orchestration and crisp vocals. A truly immaculately produced baroque pop record. But while every aspect of the artistry at work here is grand and finely crafted, it somehow flows in a way that feels natural and effortless. Musically this release feels very polished and precise, but it also carries an emotional weight that feels raw and uncompromising. 
Belwood Music 