LIGHT MAGNETIC album coming soon
A review from show at Labour in Vain in Fitzroy
Light Magnetic started the evening with an album worth of original songs which take you by surprise.....Orchestration, structure, melody, not to forget the theatrical performance by Kat Amiss who actually *acts* the songs to the point where her gesture is missed when she plays the piano but compensated by the softness of the arpeggios. the ambience calls for that famous Maxwell Parish picture.The band is a 3 musicians act who do the job of 5. The lead singer Kat Amiss is also the pianist and Boris Sujdovic doubles his rhythm fuzz guitar as a bass. The songs are witty, with clever twists within the sobriety of English language. One song is called Casino and reflects the songwriter’s talent . The guitar by Boris oscillates between power chords and bass using sustain and gentle feedback as in a contained and restrained confusion that one may encounter in a dream. The drums by Tim are very precise , with no frills, just the essential and the Ludwig kit generously lent by Under the Sea sounds just beautiful. ( Tim was tuning the kit as we arrived at the venue) I commented on the drum parts reminding me of Joe Morello, Dave Brubeck’s early drummer and apparently I am not the only one to establish a comparison so .... Yes, THAT quality. Drum parts which are taylor made to fit the songs no *prêt à porter* off the shelf drum type here, just *haute couture* .... LIGHT MAGNETIC a producer’s dream....and a listener’s delight....
Since everyone likes comparisons one could ask : (what do Kate Bush, Marianne Faithfull and Patty Smith have in common?) the answer
could be *Kat Amiss*
Excerpt from interview with MJ Halloran:
“People don’t really appreciate how good the music scene is [in Melbourne],” Halloran opines. “Comparative to other places in the world, Melbourne has something really good happening. We know that, but it continues to be the case. You can find new pockets of ideas here and there.”
One of those “pockets of ideas” is Light Magnetic, the ethereal music project formed by Kat Amiss and Scientists bass player Boris Sudjovic (and also featuring Shannassy on drums), and who’ll be playing with Halloran upstairs at The Tote in Melbourne in mid-November.
“It’s really exciting to be playing with them,” Halloran says. “Kat’s doing something really unique, very expressive. Boris is playing droney chords, Kat’s got this piano, it’s almost got this Kate Bush, Bjork, expressive, really telling stories with her expressions. She’s got something going on.”