If Not Now
By Paul Kelly
Oz rock’s poet laureate emeritus has been writing songs waving the flag for indigenous Australia seemingly since the dreamtime. This one might be a timely entreaty to his compatriots to vote yes in the Voice referendum but with a beautifully eloquent lyric, some ragged guitars and a snatch of the Triffids’ anthem Wide Open Road to close on, it’s no ordinary protest jingle. It stands tall in the company of the likes of his Maralinga (Rainy Land), From Little Things Big Things Grow, and Rally Around the Drum in the Kelly songbook. Truly advanced Australian fare. – Russell Baillie
Tension
By Kylie Minogue
Still the ever-chipper skipper to Madonna’s battered Barbie, Kylie Minogue returns with an album just as her old Neighbours-hood returns to the television. This one which puts the 55-year-old’s voice through quite the 1990s model electro blender has her singing “touch me right there” so many times you have to wonder if her masseuse has his hearing aid on. Infectious bubblegum dance-pop and sure to be on high rotation at Ramsay Street hens’ nights. – Russell Baillie
Winner
by Conan Gray
Queen’s influential reign clearly extends to Conan Gray’s second single from his forthcoming third album is so sure in its grandeur, with its electric guitar and piano, matching the drama brought on by the lyrics. Winner sports an Americana-style cover with Gray lying over the US flag. But the song’s deeper meaning does anything but glorify the American dream. He references a painful, neglectful childhood but as noted in his press release, hopes this song “helps people find a little piece of that freedom” in admitting someone has hurt them. – Alana Rae
I Remember Everything
by Zach Bryan and Kacy Musgraves
It’s nothing more than a country duet reflecting on a love lost. But the chemistry between Bryan and Musgraves and the catchy hook of “you only smile like that when you’re drinking” is as undemanding of a listen as it is impressive songwriting. It’s nice to see Musgraves in her element, especially after her fourth album star-crossed didn’t hit the same high as her 2018 Grammy-winning Golden Hour. The simplicity and familiarity of the track is what really shines though, offering a bit of relief in a music industry constantly striving for something unconventional. – Alana Rae
Maat Mons
by Grayson Gilmour from his forthcoming album Holding Patterns
After three acclaimed if underappreciated albums on Flying Nun in the 2010s, studious and keyboard-based Wellington singer-songwriter Gilmour headed into soundtrack work and teaching. But he’s making a return with this sweetly star-gazy slice of electropop with strings, one named for the highest volcano on Venus. – Russell Baillie
‘Allein! Weh, Ganz Allein’
From Elektra by Richard Strauss. Sung by Birgit Nilsson, with the Vienna Philharmonic, Georg Solti conductor.
In time for Father’s Day, Richard Strauss’s modernist opera Elektra is the last word on the mother of all daddy issues. – Richard Betts
