Hidden Shoal Recordings » Tangled Star Reviews

‘A Million Square Miles’ – The Dwarf

Jamie — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:32:38 +0000

Excerpt: “Turn the clock back a few years and most people were convinced there was something in the water in WA because of the sheer number of excellent acts who called that piece of Australia home. Fast forward to 2010 and it seems our short attention spans have been diverted elsewhere in the search of the source of the ‘next big thing’. A Million Square Miles is a compilation…. Drawing together 16 tracks from eight artists, it successfully navigates the folk, indie pop and rock genres….A Million Square Miles is a pleasing and mellow offering that is easy-on-the-ear and reaffirms the fact that there is something in the water out west.”

The Dwarf

“A Million Square Miles” – Adequacy.net

Thea Porter — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:38:46 +0000

Excerpt: “This is the rare exhibition of musical aptitude that delights from start to finish, with nary a disappointment to be found. Being tagged by some as Australia’s answer to the British label 4AD, Hidden Shoal (HSR) does indeed specialize in a brand of music that places atmosphere, ambience, and texture high on the priority list. With an onslaught of reverb and delay effects that would put the Edge to shame, this album features eight acts that run the gamut from quirky playfulness (Toby Richardson) to hypnotic melodrama (My Majestic Star). Hidden Shoals’ impressive roster on A Million Square Miles is bound to shore up some buzz, and deservedly so: it’s an exhilarating listen from beginning to end.”
Adequacy.net

Tangled Star “That Time” – PopMatters

Thea Porter — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:15:16 +0000

Excerpt: “Tangled Star’s approach is to be too trad for indie, too rock for country, too unpolished for top 40, or too rocking for folk, but this confluence will wind up being the kind of thing that appeals to most fans of those other genres rather than shutting them out…Tangled Star make another good case for being an uncomplicated, satisfying band who is as at ease with what one presumes to be a Townes Van Zandt homage (“Pictures of Lefty”) as it is with a stunning Damien Jurado-esque ballad about the inexorable pull of small towns that has an intro straight out of Pink Floyd’s Meddle (“seabirdtown”). That’s a lot of ground to cover, or range to exhibit, and Tangled Star makes it look and seem not just easy but natural.”

PopMatters

Tarcutta “Tarcutta” – Cyclic Defrost

Thea Porter — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:02:59 +0000

Excerpt: “Tarcutta’s first outing on Hidden Shoal Recordings is an impressive debut that nails (in one hit) the post rock instrumental form that this label so diligently champions. [The organ/piano combination] lends Tarcutta a distinctive sound and aids their movement into compositional domains beyond the boundaries of visceral rock sport. Indeed, a furtive maddening organ solo during ‘You Gotta crawl before you walk, before you waltz’ demonstrates clearly the distinctive possibilities of this oft neglected instrument. Tarcutta’s self titled album will provide a thrill to post rock friendly ears out there who prefer their music with intelligent compositions, wide vistas and the odd modicum of raw power.”

Cyclic Defrost

Tangled Star “That Time” – Luna Kafe

tim — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:08:20 +0000

Excerpt: “more of Tangled Star’s sympathetic mixture of mid-tempo, mellow indie pop/rock with a slight, slight touch of alt country/Americana… Quality songs. Solid material. In fact, music for bigger masses, without being too mainstream. Just catchy and accessible pop songs. The smashing (single) song this time is ’seabirdtown’, a mini-epic pop song, stretching over 6 minutes. A lush and mellow piece of well-balanced rock with the right edge… A solid little record by Tangled Star.”

Luna Kafe

Tangled Star “That Time” – Losing Today

Hidden Shoal Recordings — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:01:26 +0000

“Tangled Star ‘that time’ (hidden shoal). How could we honestly resist, another case of a band seemingly so far escaping the affectionate gaze of our usually slightly off tuned radar – until now that is. Led from the fore by a certain Craig Hallsworth, Tangled Star have been something of a much admired fixture on the Australian indie underground for a few years now releasing in that time a self titled debut full length and several EP’s and singles the most recent being this demurring 4 track set entitled ’that time’. blessed with an acute ability to have you all at once marvelling aglow in subdued awe at the spectacle of their delicately calibrated caress like airy drift pop while simultaneously drawing you low amid the affecting undertow of bruised hurt, ‘Pictures of Lefty’ is particularly cast as such, an absorbing and yearning beauty dimpled with porch dreamt reflective sea faring opines and that self same cosy toed bitter sweet melancholia of wallowing crestfallen country tweaked tides that at one time a few years ago appeared to be the sole trademark sound of both Pavement and Garlic. Similarly affected is the woody and mellow ’seabirdtown’ with its welcoming opening ambit a simply plaintive ‘fuck’ soon given way to something that ripples, radiates and blossoms amid a dressage of shimmering keys and softly burnt riff cascades which had us much in mind of Hefner shimmying with the Clientele at times. ’I had something good in my life and didn’t want to lose it’ should prove particular interest to admirers of the criminally underappreciated Kelman with its 60’s sourced hollowed soul pop drive and distant nods to early career Go Betweens though all said for us best moment of the set is the parting title cut ’that time’. a gorgeously bespoke slice of numbing classicism brought on by the souring serenade of an introspectively cast key braid, all at once mellow and elegant and of course surrendering and teasingly tearful. Tasty stuff.”

Losing Today

Tangled Star “Our Man In Eden Hill” – AMG

tim — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:10:06 +0000

Excerpt: “The rich, gentle roil of sound evidenced on Our Man in Eden Hill, the band’s third overall release, has the same surging, warmly anthemic sound of stellar forebears galore, each sonically different — the Triffids, Died Pretty, perhaps most inevitably the Go-Betweens — but which altogether seem to capture a sense and a style more than might be guessed, something detailed, mournful, and a little crushing even at its strongest; feedback and background flows of classic keyboards and steady drumming all interplaying behind lead singer Craig Hallsworth’s work. By putting it all together and adding their own touches — the suddenly thrilling funk/psych guitar shades on ‘The Skaters,’ for instance — Tangled Star help make a claim on something more than re-creation.”

AMG

Tangled Star “Our Man in Eden Hill” – Delusions of Adequacy

Hidden Shoal Recordings — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:24:50 +0000

Excerpt – “The band possesses the distinct knack of creating catchy pop songs that hit just the right elements to keep a listener tuned in for a long time. Their latest EP, Our Man in Eden Hill, is a fine reminder of the band’s ability to craft smart, affecting music…. A song like “The Skaters” is evenly balanced with a reflective piano and Hallsworth’s gentle vocals. It’s the kind of song that starts out pleasant enough but can touch your heart in many ways. The sounds recall some of Radiohead’s better chords and progressions (especially the ending) and the music ends up being one of the EP’s highlights because of it….Hallsworth’s voice is reminiscent of Stephen Malkmus but he carries his own distinct timber and when the music swells, so does his voice. He is able to reach high levels of emotion and intensity while still sounding in control… This is a quiet and serene listen, one that can touch people on different levels…”

Delusions of Adequacy

Tangled Star Feature Album on RTRFM

Hidden Shoal Recordings — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:44:38 +0000

The brilliant new EP Our Man in Eden Hill by Tangled Star has been chosen as the local feature of the week on Australia’s finest indie radio station RTRFM. Listen all this week to RTR and hear delicious slabs of the magic only Tangled Star can deliver. Even better if you live in Western Australia you can tune in to win a limited edition copy CD copy of the EP. Tune in to 92.1FM or hop along to the mighty fine RTRFM website where you can listen to a live stream or re-stream the shows you’ve missed.

Tangled Star – The Skaters Tangled Star – The Skaters

Tangled Star “Our Man In Eden Hill” – Luna Kafe

tim — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 06:36:29 +0000

Excerpt: “Two moonths ago I was slightly amazed by Tangled Star’s single guiding this EP, ‘tosleepingpeople’. A great song… pleasing, soothing stuff… melodic and melancholic slow pop”

Luna Kafe

Tangled Star ‘tosleepingpeople’ – Luna Kafe

tim — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:25:58 +0000

Excerpt: “a lovely pop song. Their first EP for Hidden Shoal Recordings, the six-song mini It’s Now or Later (2006), was well received. It’s easy to understand that by hearing this new single – if it had anything as good as this one. Tangled Star play melodic and melancholic slow pop. Imagine Magnetic Fields mixed with The Go Betweens, with a dash of vintage Flying Nun kiwi pop thrown in (Sneaky Feelings, Straightjacket Fits). ‘tosleepingpeople’ is taken from a forthcoming EP due out in the first quarter of 2008. Looking forward to hearing it.”

Luna Kafe