Transcending labels

Frabjous Daze
Relish
Independently released
Phone Ant McKenna on 015 172 276 or e-mail <antm@lrvnet.org.au>.

Review by Lynda Hansen

A nine-track debut CD, Frabjous Daze is a collection of songs from Brisbane band Relish.

Relish, formed in 1996, isn't afraid to put its politics where its music is. The band has incorporated guitar, accordion, flute, didgeridoo and bodhran to create unexpected multi-layered sounds and present a message.

"Queen of the Street" deals with violence against women, particularly women working in the sex industry, and the ownership of one person by another.

"Mainstream Dreamtime" describes the disparity between white monocultural existence and the reality for indigenous youth who get dumped at Pinkenba by police or, worse, end up dead in a "white hearse".

"Feel and Breathe" blends Afonso Corte Real's funky bass lines and Jeremy Hill's soaring vocal range. "Mad about You", a witty love song, showcases Sean Lynch's manic flute style. Relish's stomping anthem "Xanana Vive", a tribute to imprisoned Fretilin leader Xanana Gusmao, is a truly inspiring piece.

Relish's music has been labelled by the industry as Indie folk-pop. This debut recording shows that, in fact, Relish is destined to transcend such labels and create a space for itself in the Australian music industry.

From GLW issue 320