Angus & Julia Stone: The Beast

An Australian brother-sister duo, that began breaking native ground back in 2006, caught my ear recently when I heard the track The Beast from their 2007 EP of the same name. Maybe it's the Neil Young guitar trot reminding me of Horse With No Name, the chipper timbre, or the tragic lyrics:

Retrench me because of machines
Kids trading roses for guns
Track mark under the sleeve
I can't talk I need to run
Loves thrown away the ring
Not knowing what to say
Mama won't you sing
It's like you're cut by the blade

After 15 listens I'm still hooked.

Angus' voice lulls with Donovan-like pacing while Julia's sadly murmured harmonies seal the serenade. As the accompanying video's black and white sketch of a bleek society reemerges in colour, we are assured that not all hope is lost in this childlike depiction of the deterioration of humanity (is there any other subject these days?).


www.angusandjuliastone.com
www.myspace.com
/angusandjuliastone