Angie McMahon: Piano Salt | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- Over a full year ago, in July 2019, Melbourne Indie artist Angie McMahon released her debut album Salt, and it isn’t until now in October 2020 that its melancholic, stripped-back, sister EP has emerged from Victoria’s lengthy lockdown period, it is Piano Salt.

Most of the EP was heard by fans in an online concert on July 29th, beautifully recorded from The Perch Recording Studio in Castlemaine, Victoria. The concert was released once again for short-term viewing on Wednesday October 7th after a very healthy level of ticket sales, this time partnering with US Singer/Songwriter Jensen McRae who opened with an emotional twenty-five-minute, solo set.

As the title of the EP suggests, it is mostly made up of songs from last year's studio album Salt, stripped back almost entirely to a single take of piano and vocals. Angie’s songs Soon, Slow Mover, Keeping Time, and Pasta, appear on the album as the exact live versions recorded in the twice-released online concert, with the addition of some subtle harmonies, ambience, and light percussion that were overdubbed during the production process.

Songs that weren’t heard at the gig that appear on the EP include covers of Bruce Springsteen’s The River and Lana Del Rae’s Born To Die, these were both, however, recorded on the same day at The Perch Studio, and also the live version of If You Call which was recorded in Perth in July 2019 featuring Leif Vollebekk.

The album really showcases Angie’s vocals and performance capabilities, as well as the raw emotion and passion behind her songwriting. The last track to appear on the EP is her biggest hit, Pasta, sounding like fans have never heard it before in stripped-down, emotive indie-folk styling. The lyrics about eating too much pasta, spending a whole day on the phone, and feeling lost, no doubt resonate with people now more than ever after the extensive period of lockdown in Melbourne. In the online gig Angie made a shy comment after playing Pasta that she might end up re-recording it as she felt she had forgotten what ‘time and rhythm’ were while playing it; the fact that she evidently kept this version, however, speaks to her humble nature and indeed the honesty and rawness of the whole EP.

Aside from the spine-tingling version of The Boss’s The River, Keeping Time is a definite stand-out and highlight of the seven-track EP. It is where her vocals are given the best spotlight, and some of the quirky and cute lines like “I want someone who's funny looking when they dance” amongst the themes of brokenness and restlessness can grant the listener a smile when allowing themselves to be absorbed by the story of the piece.

While stylistically the soft mumbled voice is something that is heard quite a bit throughout popular contemporary indie and pop music -Lana Del Rae who Angie covered on the album being one example- some listeners may find themselves wishing Angie sang just a bit clearer and not so much through her teeth, to better showcase her poetry and songwriting skills. It would have also been nice for the EP to have revealed a surprise new single amidst the reimaginings of Salt, but if we got everything we wanted all the time, well, then where would we be?

In its essence, some might say Piano Salt, being a very stripped-back record, isn’t made of all that much. It is, however, without a doubt, the common romantic’s dream, and is best enjoyed from start to finish over a hot cup of tea and a stunning sunset after a long day.

- Franz Dowling.
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1476217713/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="https://angie-mcmahon.bandcamp.com/album/piano-salt">Piano Salt by Angie McMahon</a></iframe>