As every other review of Tash Sultana's debut album inevitably does, let's start this one with the astounding fact that the Australian star plays every single instrument on the record. Sultana can reportedly play 20 instruments, and here, the singer unleashes that power. Flow State is a creative behemoth, with 13 massive, nuanced songs that essentially sound like the work of a 20-piece band.
Sultana's rough-around-the-edges voice is the greatest asset of all, closely followed by the searing guitar, which is frequently brought out for towering solos. The record starts strong; after a hypnotic intro, the summery Big Smoke rolls in with a dub-inspired beat, snowballing into a snarly rock tune that sounds like a Venn diagram of Gin Wigmore, Fat Freddy's Drop and Shihad.
Sultana's strongest songs keep things shorter and restricted, although in this case, that still means more than four minutes. Murder to the Mind is a winner, with a smoky chorus and infectious trumpet line, and Salvation is a smooth jam that Sultana uses to build a bullet-proof exterior: "I don't need your loving for my salvation".
As can sometimes be the case with solo projects, however, Sultana's broad, complicated songs can start to drag. Flow State is more than an hour long, and songs like the almost seven-minute Pink Moon and the nine-minute Blackbird could have used some editing. But by and large, Sultana delivers on the hype, all built before there was a debut record out. Sultana is a staggering talent, and Flow State's smooth pacing and bright flourishes will be excellent for the approaching warm weather.
