Wonderful and creative song, bravo Hayden !

Full Circle Back

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne’s finest talent.

Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn’s conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes.

In Finn’s own words: “My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”

The album arcs between opening, middle and end. Beginning with the optimism of ‘Looking Up’ and ‘Lagoon’, the former a celestial, string and harp marbled slice of positivity, the latter a spiritual journey of exuberance and hope, Finn’s fingers dancing across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano. From there the songs blossom outwards with the cinematic soulful journey of ‘It’s Behind Me Now’ and Brazilian-inspired ‘Expansion’, as the divine ‘Crossing’ signals a transition to a new realm. The energy is transformed from the rich cosmic textures to a more intimate and personal feeling with ‘Ablaze’, ‘Between Spaces’ and ‘As It Passes’ which blissfully fades down to simply piano and strings to close out the record.

Recorded at Rolling Stock in Collingwood, Melbourne, Henry Jenkins was drafted in as recording and mix engineer, his minimal vintage mic setups giving a live aesthetic and warmth to the arrangements. Lucky Pereira and Blakely McLean Davies form the rock-solid rhythm section, with a hand-picked line-up of other Melbourne talent on display, including Cheryl Durongpitikul on tenor sax, Siwei Wong on harp, Audrey Powne on trumpet and Allysha Joy on vocals to name only a few.

Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. A record unable to be age-stamped, casting ambiguity as to when, what era and by whom it has been crafted. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, Dawn Is A Melody is warm and familiar yet focused on the here now.

Finn Rees - Between Spaces

They

Onsloow - Full Speed Anywhere Else (TE212) out October 2024 on Tiny Engines

Singles: Taxi, Brakes, Body Parts

Full Speed Anywhere Else

Onsloow - Brakes

Sounds Good (Instrumentals)

NyNy (Instrumental)

Hard Bop Jazz, Thelonious Monk

Epistrophy

No One

Fate & Alcohol

Alice

produced by me & 4don




you look nice , i look like the guy you like 

it’s our night 

well drink wine & talk for light 

days go by , i don’t get , no reply 

is it i , or is it you 


we were kissing inside your house 

on that friday morning you left town 

lyrics they won’t feel like i felt

wanted u to stay , girl turn around 


you look nice , i look like the guy you like 

it’s our night 

well drink wine & talk for light 

days go by , i don’t get , no reply 

is it i , or is it you 

we were kissing inside your house 

on that friday morning you left town 


( when you come around )

looking at the ground , tearing up 

( know you in & out )

reeling out , gon get u stuck there 

( you’ve given me my sound )

i can hear it when u shout 

( i lift you when you’re down )

i can feel you when you doubted your change 


come back 

to my place 


you look nice , i look like the guy you like 

it’s our night 

well drink wine & talk for light 

days go by , i don’t get , no reply 

is it i , or is it you 

we were kissing inside your house 

on that friday morning you left town 

lyrics they won’t feel like how i felt

( when you come around )

looking at the ground , tearing up 

( know you in & out )

reeling out , gon get u stuck there 

( you’ve given me my sound )

i can hear it when u shout 

( i lift you when you’re down )

i can feel you when you doubted your change 


come back

wine night

Indie Pop, Dreampop, Hypnagogic Pop, Neo-Psychedelica, Chillwave, Jangle Pop, Bedroom Pop, Indie Rock, Art Rock, Alternative

They

Hayden Thorpe

Recent comments

Pierre Bordetti

Related tracks