In another life, today’s Vinylist Paul Dempsey could be playing in the ruck and resting up forward for his beloved Saint Kilda FC. He’s got the height, the love of the game, and let’s face it, his vertical leap is probably elite. Had he pursued that option however, we would be aurally poorer for the fact that his 20 year musical would have almost certainly have been derailed by the training, recovery sessions, media commitments, and of course, actual games. As it happens, Paul’s contribution to the Australian musical landscape as part of Something For Kate and as a solo artist have been magical, and become a huge part of many, many people’s lives – as SFK’s recent sold out 20 Year Anniversary tour and album reissues showed. There is a lot of love for this talented, creative and humble fellow. (He can sing pretty well too…)
Paul has entered into the spirit of his Qualifying Vinyl selection by qualifying the fact that the albums he selects over the course of the Vinyl Series are records he’s currently enjoying. We dig it. Live in the present we say, like the one inhabited by the fantastic Sharon Van Etten …
Sharon Van Etten – Are We There (2014)
Ms Van Etten has a really wonderful voice with a unique ‘lilting’ style. The last word of every line she sings seems to fall downward from the designated note in a perfect arc towards the ground as if you can actually hear gravity’s pull on her voice, it’s quite a lovely thing. She’s a really great guitar player too and the whole tone, arrangement and production of this album sits nicely at the hi-fi end of the lo-fi spectrum (phew) and lyrically it’s equally dramatic and sardonic as evidenced by the grand, sweeping opening track and the lazy sass of the closing track. I dig this record.
PD
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