- 2019 has seen a ravishing collection of albums released that all cover the territory of beautifully produced, emotions getting worked over, popular music. To wit: Chaka Khan, Chelsea Wilson, Hot Chip, Brendan Maclean, Death Club 7, Hatchie – even sections of Madonna’s “Madame X” fit the bill. Now comes Canberra’s ethereal (with a beat) trio Safia and their second album, Story’s Start Or End.
The phenomena of the “difficult second album” is well-reported in the music world. It appears that this could have been applied to Safia when frontman Ben Woolner commenced work, with drummer Michael Bell and guitarist/keyboardist Harry Sayers, on their follow-up to 2016’s Internal. The sprawling, outward-looking album that was going to address all the world’s major issues, while sitting on their intricate sonic architecture, just didn’t fly. So, Woolner scrapped the work he’d contributed to the project, went off and spent some time in meditation and being mindful about his approach to music, and this album’s first single Starlight was born.
It’s true that there will be some who won’t be swept up in this swirling, aural pattern making, especially as Starlight relies heavily on autotuned vocals and several deep layers of instrumentation. However, the opening track Ivory Lullaby does what all good lullabies do – lulls you - and you are ready for the rich journey ahead. The second single (like the first, released prior to the album) Cellophane Rainbow sits toward the end of the album, and despite the title suggesting some nouveau-prog-rock essay, it’s jaunty, chugging rhythm holds the listeners’ attention close.
Between those two tracks, Woolner’s vocals explore various styles, and frequently switch up to a falsetto, such as on White Lies and Animal At Most, both leaning on a set of beats that suggest a possible Caribbean influence, and on Think About You which sways in a slightly sultry way through those sonic layers that signify Safia’s trademark.
Also noticeable are several other influences from across the last few decades – a touch of late ‘80’s Pet Shop Boys I Want A Dog in Think We’re Not Alone – but sexier. There’s a bit of Imagine Dragons in Runaway – but a bit more “European” sounding; and the quirky Vagabonds wouldn’t be out of place with Regina Spektor doing the vocals.
Bookending the album’s tracks are Ivory Lullaby & the title track. Ivory Lullaby has a delicious tune in the chorus and the blending of Woolner’s breathy vocals across the beat laid down by Bell and tinkered with by Sayers, brings the listener to the edge of expectation, raising them up and allowing a form of bliss to descend. If that sounds like hyperbole, the other end brings the listener to a very happy conclusion with another gently chugging beat and Woolner bringing out the falsetto again to help the listener soar up and down, like a glider riding the thermal currents. All that meditation and mindfulness, finding the balance between optimism & pessimism and one’s inner and outer selves seems to have paid off handsomely for Safia. They neatly avoid that second album sink-hole effect and sound so serene doing it, you wonder how it could ever be a problem.
- Blair Martin.