Broadcast 2026-01-12

I’m not even going to comment on cassettes and their position on the audio quality spectrum. Just don’t leave home without a Bic biro.

I’ve long been an admirer of those 1920s stone lithograph tourism posters, and the artwork by Taku Bannai on this release is wonderful.

But let’s get back to the song in question.

We’re definitely talking “synth city” here. The only acoustic I can hear is Jun’s vocals.

The use of instrumental lines is very well done, there’s no cavalcade of noises with different characteristics.

There seems to be a clear definition of what an “instrument” sounds like, right down to the attack, sustain, decay, release envelope, and this is maintained through the track.

Jun’s vocals are not synthetic though, they are quite expressive, with a good range and feel.

Unfortunately, there are a few places where the instrumental and vocal lines vie for attention, with the vocal line losing mostly.

In short, this is good, but not outstanding … but it could be.

Jun Parker - Yvonne - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-12

Now this is what Ash has been missing all these years.

You can have an amazingly talented singer, superbly synchronised duets, trios and the like, but nothing can really compete with a full voice choir.

Ash’s work has always been strong, but his guitar work always had an edge over his voice.

His voice is excellent, but that guitar of his really demanded something more, and here it is!

His signature guitar playing and tone has found a home.

The repeated refrain, “can we have a conversation” is absolutely compelling.

He opens:

“Got me in chains
‘Cos we’re bound to the things that we say
So be careful with the poison that you’re sinking
Pull the trigger on your words that you’re twisting”

The scene is set, the lyrics are strong, and every time that some emphasis is called for, the choir comes in.

And then:

“Put your hands in mine
And your feet on the ground
We’ve got so much time
Running out of line”

“Can we have a conversation?”

That cuts two ways. It’s either saying “let’s talk” or it’s asking if there’s any common ground left for talking.

That’s deep, and it’s only the opening of the song, the output of a truly talented musician. 

This is greatly impressive. You can’t help but feel its impact.

This year he’s undertaking a Gospel Tour of Australian cities featuring some of Australia's best vocal groups in the most incredible venues, but not Geelong. 

Ash Grunwald - Chains (Gospel Version) - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-12

This is so minimal. A guitar and a vocal, with occasional multi-tracking of the vocal. 

And that’s it. Very reminiscent of prominent ‘60s and ‘70s folk music.

The tune is light, but not bright, there are some minor inflexions there, which is not surprising when you listen to the lyrics, and the full force of the words in the title hits you.

“Show Me The Way”

It’s a fact of life that relationships develop and change, and not always for the better.

This has happened here, and we are hearing confusion.

“Are you empty?
Should I just set my self free?
Will you ever come back to me?
Willingly, lovingly
Lovingly, willingly”

“Do you even care
When I’m off somewhere?
It’s so hard to tell what you’re thinking
I search for a clue in all that you do
Somehow I’m just left waiting”

If you have never been in this position, then I envy you.

This song is for the rest of us, and it talks directly to us.

This is extremely impressive. A mastery of less is more.



Estelle Conley - Show Me The Way - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-12

The first thing of note in this piece is the firm and constant bass drum rhythm. This sets the pace and holds it all the way through.

There are further and lighter instruments weaving around the beat and toying with it and with Tanya’s voice.

The way Tanya reflects this with her vocal is also interesting.

For the most part it is an unvarying pitch and rhythm, matching the drum part, but blossoming into a melodic excursion in choruses.

Tanya’s voice is strong over her range, and she works it perfectly in all the brackets of this song.

The song outlines events which have caused negative impacts, but works towards a chorus commenting:

“I can't take it no more, 
No respect in the world that we're living for, 
Unjust things, we do, we do, 
Unjust things, we do, we do.”

The song finishes abruptly part way through an “Unjust things, we do” line.

It leaves you hanging, and forces you to refocus on that line. It’s a very clever device.

This song is next level. It takes such a commonplace issue – that unjust things are continually happening in this world, but takes a stand against it. 

This song is special, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from Tanya.

Tanya George - Unjust Things - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-19

There’s no gentle introduction with this track, it’s straight into it.

Karly’s voice is instantly recognisable, it is right out in front on this track.

The band behind her is loud, without losing its melodic role.

This is great production, we have a loud band, but with a vocal line distinct and distinguishable.

There are no missing lyrics here.

And the lyrics are interesting. 

I don’t know how her contemporaries will interpret this, but it took me back to the 1960s (yes, Virginia, I am that old!) when rock and roll was the Devil’s music.

Rebel youth which would not listen.

“I won’t listen
No I won’t listen”

Angry youth which wanted to take their own direction regardless.

“It’s almost criminal
But I’m invincible
Say what you want to me
Say what you want to me”

This is a great song.


Karly Jewell - Rock Ain't Pretty - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-19

I love this take on one of the oddest insults ever – go back to where you came from.

It’s a weird one to apply to me. One side of the family came from a German who deserted his navy in Australia, one from Frenchman who deserted his navy in Australia, and one was found on a doorstep in Port Melbourne.

I’m not a frequent visitor to ancestry.com.

I could spend some time discussing mutability of national borders and consequent effects on national identities, but I want you to stay awake, so back to the song.

This is a very light tune, just guitar, fiddle and mandolin.

They come together with Anousha’s voice to create an exquisite sound.

It all sounds pure and effortless, and it takes a lot of skill and rehearsal to get that sound.

The lyrics are direct, dissecting the insult in its strange message.

But the part I truly love is

“I carry the stories
They don’t define me
Places we come from
That’s all we can be”

And that’s truth.


Anousha Victoire - Go Back To Where You Came From - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-19

Rod’s work is always highly professional and exquisitely produced, and this track takes centre stage.

There’s no doubt that this comes straight from a smooth jazz influence.

The playing is tight, the rhythm is maintained, it’s a perfect example.

You can hear the Latin influences, but they are subtle, just a hint from guitar and drums.

Rhythm and Light is an interesting name for this track, the rhythm is definitely a feature.

Light, of course, can be taken in more than one way.

Yes, the track itself has a definite lightness to it, but for me it also conjures the idea of light passing through a complex glass structure.

Light itself coming through directly, and also coming through changed and modulated by that passage.

That reflection (sorry!) emerges through the melody moving between the different instruments with their own take on it, but always there is the piano, the un reflected constant.


Rod Best - Rhythm & Light - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-26

This is an interesting melody and arrangement, and it took me rather by surprise.

Regular listeners will know that one thing which truly annoys me is when a song has such an instrumental line, that it overwhelms the vocal, and that’s where I got a surprise with this song.

‘Prisoner’ starts with a light intro from a distorted guitar, then a crash from the drums and it’s full speed ahead.

Yes, we have a full on instrumental, but the arrangement and mastering has kept the vocals distinguishable, even the lighter female vocals in the chorus.

Excellent, a solid sound and the vocals work. This is quality.

The story is one that’s as old as time itself.

Earl is the dominant storyteller in the verses, he seems to paint himself as a creature of the night.

"I found my love by the strobe light
I found my love by the wild night"

But it seems that not all has worked out as he would wish - "I’m a prisoner of it all."

In the choruses there’s a female lead, calling with a drawn out please, then

maybe we, we don’t have to say it’s over

Unlike most of these stories, there’s still a commitment "let’s take it back to the start."

Musically, technically and vocally it’s all been pulled together as it should be. 

I can’t wait for more.

Krystal Rivvers - Prisoner - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-26

This song took me right back fifty years to the 1970s folk music and protest era.

The instruments used, the arrangement and the vocal style all lived in that era.

And in all those festivals I attended or organised, there was not one First Nations face.

All that cultural mix of music, lyrics, protest and glorifying, Celtic, British, Irish, Appalachian overlooked this cause.

Now there is a range of music from First Nations singers and songwriters, and it’s damned good stuff too.

And this is damned good stuff too.

The music is that simple but rousing and affirming style that characterised the era.

The vocal line is out front with a strong and clear presence.

This is not a protest song highlighting injustice, it’s a clear call to action.

‘Rise up don’t sit back, take the future, get your pride back.’

The verses are a distillation of the discrimination and, yes, the violence First Nations people have experienced.

The line ‘it’s a sunburnt land, it’s not a white country’ 

Are you a First Nations person, an ally or part of the problem?

Leroy Johnson - Rise Up - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-26

Last time I heard one of JD’s pieces, I said ‘this is a piece from someone with an existing stellar track record, backed by an excellent band, and lushly produced.’

There’s no way I can step back from that. 

This is anthemic in its sound, it’s powerful, it’s amazingly well produced, and it’s immediately attention getting.

The use of harmonies in this is fascinating. Sometimes it seems that JD is singing a harmony to the instrumental line and not taking the lead.

His range is astounding, those low bass lines are extraordinary, and then he’s up in tenor territory.

The lyrics are about the necessity for support in the face of a major threat.

‘Oh love hold me in your arms, 
til the war is finally over 
keep me warm.’

And such a lovely reason why that matters.

‘and only the sound of your heartbeat
can calm the monsters in my sleep 
and keep me safe before I wake.’

A dark subject, but a beautiful song.


JD Smith - Silent In This Corner - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-01-26

This is spectacular, and I’m not using “spectacular” lightly. This piece feels like it contains input from the entire scope of Mark’s musical background.

There’s so much to talk about, I hardly know where to start. 

Let’s begin with the overall feel of the piece. This is a big sound. It’s a complex sound, and it brings together so many intoxicating musical dimensions that ambush your ears and whisk you in different directions.

Even its structure, it has that almost obligatory form of verses, instrumental bridge and a final verse, except it’s not final, there’s an epic instrumental final.

It opens with Deborah’s beautiful vocals, lightly supported by piano and strings, which swell and give a powerhouse tone. 

That drifts into a guitar driven instrumental bridge which had me looking for David Gilmour in the credits. I’m also sure I can hear a Leslie somewhere in there. 

Deborah returns, and then it moves into another bridge, with keyboards driving it (there’s definitely an organ in there!) but this instrumental is not a guitar lead as was the first.

This has moved from a rock instrumental section, it had me thinking more of avant-garde jazz, think Miles Davis on his album Aura.

This section comprises over half of the piece, and is a majestic and complex section. 

The lyrics are about giving, abandonment and taking back your life.

Even when there’s melancholy, you can put it behind.

'I believed in you and now you're gone
But you won’t see me shed a tear
For the friend who is not here
‘Cos now I’m singing my own song'

The lyric describing the change as ‘We play another game, It doesn’t matter anymore.’  

This song has affected me more than any I have heard in quite some time. It is superbly crafted, the music the lyrics and the arrangement all make it so powerful.

Mark Isaacs - A Voice I Knew - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-02

The Lion of Lucerne commemorates roughly 760 Swiss Guards who were killed in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris which they were guarding. The Swiss Guards ran low on ammunition and were overwhelmed by superior numbers. 

This has a real 1970s electric folk sound, and lyrical style.

The topic is a classic one, focused on a tragedy, and the smooth instrumental is incongruous, but effective.

There’s a violin along with a smooth electric guitar enhanced with a touch of reverb taking us into this song.

The violin stays with us for most of the verse sections with an occasional return of the guitar for a bridge.

There’s a subtle shift in tone and arrangement in the chorus which is very effective.

There’s a classic folk sound to the vocals, which made me think of Contraband from the 1970s.

Dave’s vocal is mellow and even, and strong over his range. The occasional harmonies are well arranged and sung.

The lyrics are well crafted and enter that storytelling mode which is, of course, the reason for the song.

The topic of the song was completely unknown to me. A new piece of oral history enters the tradition.

Dave Robertson & The Kiss List - The Lion of Lucerne - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-02

Good music and bookshops, could life get any better.

In Scotland there’s a place called “The Open Bookshop” which you can rent for a week, but it’s booked out until the end of 2027. You live above it and run it for a week.

Now that sounds fantastic! Back to it now.

This is a great sound, vibes, bass and percussion featuring in the beginning. 

There’s a fascinating distorted light guitar in the bridges.

Some harmonies seem to be working with the instrumental background and not the lead, quirky but a great effect.

All in all this is smooth, polished and immensely interesting.

The lyrics talk to me directly, “I like being in bookshops, though I don’t read much.”

Well, I don’t know about the last bit. My death is likely to be the result of my “To Be Read” pile collapsing on me.

But books are definitely about “seeing how far we’ve come or to where we should be going,” even the fiction books and especially the science fiction.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is starting to sound like a news report.

This undoubtedly a hymn of praise to bookshops.

Shelly’s vocals are wonderful, strong and clear.

She has mastered her voice and uses it with precision and sensitivity.

This is an excellent song in every sense, and I want more.


Shelly Brown - Bookshops - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-09

Powerhouse rock and hard hitting riffs – their notes weren’t kidding.

This definitely has an anthemic and majestic feel.

The sound is seriously big, it would fit on a stadium stage without losing any of its impact.

There are passages that sound orchestral, and there are passages which leave no room at all for an orchestra.

The guitar lead is right out there, and it’s backed by that full on wall of sound that is characteristic of this style of music.

It opens with the lighter verse, and then moves into the forceful chorus.

It’s almost like it’s drawing you in for a killer cascade of sound, a pattern which continues.

The song is the classic breakup story, and it sounds good at first.

"Say what you need to say 
we both know we tried to make it right
let it go it’s too late
we’ve gotta try and move on with our lives.
And it will hurt but we need it to end"

So the song says it’s inevitable, but there’s a silver lining.

"March along to your parade
finding your way
with the lights and the sound"

Don’t forget the positive experiences.

"Here’s to the memories
remember the good times we had"

And then the kicker

"I need space, I need time"

But it’s all about the singer, the story is one sided.

XCalibre - Lights and Sound - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-09

I have known 8 Ball’s music for quite some time, and it has been fascinating to hear it develop.

There is no doubt that his time in Nashville has had a significant effect on his style.

A catchy rhythm, some slide, and an organ in the background there is a long way from the first gig I heard at Sleepy Hollow Blues Club.

This has a great catchy melody. The instrumental is light and tight.

The balance between the two is respectful, nothing dominating. 

I’d also include the harmonies that 8 Ball and Taya sing as part of the instrumental. If they were just patter singing it would still sound fantastic.

Their vocals just seem to lock the instrumental parts together and unite them in a way that lifts the song.

The lyrics are clear and clever and generate vivid imagery.

“I’ve been hanging like a picture on your wall
I’ve been stuck like a magnet on you refrigerator door
Trying to make some plans and laugh at you
But I don’t know if you want me to
Won’t you tell me if you want me t o”

The song is dealing with the peril of uncertainty in a relationship – or is it a relationship.

“Cos if you love me, why don’t you let me know?
If you don’t want me, why don’t you let me go
If you need me please won’t you tell me so
Why leave me waiting in limbo”

The traumas and uncertainties of the start of a relationship.

This is an amazingly well crafted song that has been beautifully realised.

8 Ball Aitken & Taya Chani - Limbo - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-09

The only other recording of this that I have heard used guitar and violin for the instrumental, and was as close as you can get to an unaccompanied ballad without actually being there.

That’s certainly not the case here.

There’s no way I could count the instruments in Ruth’s version just by listening.

I remember the widespread dismay when Bob Dylan was bold enough to use an electric guitar with folk music.

Mind you, the rest of us were saying “hell yeah!”

Ruth’s instrumental goes beyond one electric guitar.

Yes, there’s a banjo, and some other instruments central to the tradition, but there’s also samples, and reversed samples, and I’m pretty sure that Ruth is also multitracking the harmonies as well.

You’ve just heard it, and I think it’s fantastic, and 100% appropriate to the ballad.

The ballad is one of those where impossible tasks are the conditions for true love. Effectively, it’s a rejection.

I think this one is different. The impossible tasks seem to be set by both parties.

Is this a reaction to an arranged marriage?

Ruth Hazleton - Tri-Coloured House - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-16

Wow! This has a classic punk sound (“classic punk” sounds weird) but then I sensed a taste of that Jefferson Airplane style of psychedelia.

The song is quite incredible and complex in a musical sense.

This is a perfect example of why I hate music being labelled as this or that genre.

This music defies all of that, it makes its own way, it is unique in its own way.

We have great drums and bass, and a sensational reverb guitar sound. 

The beat is solid, persistent and remorseless, and the lead guitar coming over the top stimulates so many memories of an earlier time.

Jackie’s vocals are clear and work in and around the instrumental lines, and are not overshadowed.

But then I put a few thoughts together – a track called ‘Floating Alice,’ on an album called ‘Queen of the Pill,’ and more than a hint of Jefferson Airplane in their ‘White Rabbit’ era, and I suspect I know who Alice is!

That’s just my misfiring aged neurons though, there’s no hint of that in the lyrics.

The lyrics deal with a lady astronaut helplessly floating off into outer space away from her lover. 

“The stars shine so bright as I’m getting lost / Slowly fading away, at any cost …”

I went straight on line and bought the CD, yeah, old school, but whatever.

The tour hits Melbourne from the end of February, details and tickets are available through toshimaeda.com.au



The Jackets - Floating Alice - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-16

Keys, horns and a killer beat, now that’s an excellent start.

This song is a lovely slow burn, beginning smoothly with keys, then bringing in a wonderfully harmonising brass section which then drops away into a smooth vocal.

That drop away for the vocal sections is an excellent way of making sure the lyrics are perfectly discernible.

Then the brass reappears from time to time, just backing the vocal and not dominating.

The female singer is beautiful, clear lyric singing with a bit of scat singing.

The song is telling you to take the risk and make the relationship.

“Ring the bell and bang the drum
Tell the world you’ve 
Found the chosen one”

But it does acknowledge that it’s not all smooth sailing.

“Yeah there’ll be drama 
From time-ah to time-ah
We’re not alone-ah”

But absolute kudos for using the name of a former president.

“Bet even Obama has 
Baby Mama Drama”

Inspired, or a cheap shot? Full marks either way.

Smooth quality at all levels.


Ernie Garland Jr - Baby Mama Drama (Obama) - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-23

OK, all you Hard-Ons fans, remember what Blackie said, “Boss is Gone is purely acoustic.”

It’s not just acoustic, it’s an excellent acoustic piece.

We have an acoustic guitar, Blackie on vocals, and a female vocal which is somewhere between backing and having her own lead.

Musically, this really is a stripped back piece.

The guitar is light, and contributes an unobtrusive background to the vocals.

There is no intro or outro, the guitar does not extend beyond the limits of the vocals.

Despite Blackie being one of three parts of the song, there is never any contest to his voice.

I think that works because the guitar spends a lot of its time in the higher registers and the vocal backing is also up there, which leaves his vocal range free.

The song almost feels like a call and response, with the two voices working individually and together.

The song is a universal theme, one I am sure we have all experienced. Being unable to get to sleep.

The melody is engaging, the lyrics work well, and the irony is that it will probably become an earworm and keep me awake!

Peter Black - Toss and Turn - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-23

I’m not going to do a full analytic review of this, I think that would be inappropriate.

First up, I think you should have a look at the Dreamachine entry on Wikipedia.

Gysin, like a number of artists in that era, was trying to use music, spoken word and light patterns to produce a shift in consciousness.

The light patterns from the Dreamachine were like the flickering shadows you get from driving down a treed avenue.

The idea was close your eyes while looking at the Dreamachine and let go of the structure of the sounds and light to get a psychedelic effect.

The Dreamachine may be dangerous for persons with photosensitive epilepsy or other nervous disorders.


Brion Gysin - Dreamachine Pt 1 Radio Edit - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-02-23

It’s hard to believe this song is only three minutes, it contains a lifetime.

“Life is sad, and painfully beautiful.”

The theme of this wonderful ballad is transcendence.

Sarah has a touch for Americana, which is proven by her repeated appearances at Tamworth, and the acknowledgements I’ve already mentioned.

The instrumental background of this song is soft and supportive, with a steel in the background to lift it.

Sarah’s vocals slide over the top of it effortlessly passing out exquisite lyrics, vivid and taking us through that sadness and beyond.

“I make time to be slack jawed with wonder at the little things I see”

“My heart is sunken, but my spirit is high”

“We’re all babies stumbling in a world where love is there for free” 

We all need songs like this in our lives, just to make us see past the present.

Sarah Carroll - Life is Sad - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-02

This is an interesting piece, both musically and vocally.

It spends most of its time in the upper registers, and only the bass and drums are anywhere low.

It has an almost operatic feel, the melody is completely carried by the vocals, instrumental only provides backing.

Even in the bridge, where the instruments do come forward, GLVES vocal is still there behind, but distinguishable from the instruments.

The song addresses one of the deep issues – belonging.

Belonging is all about place in it’s varied dimensions – time, country, family, wider relationships.

It’s also dynamic, it changes within its boundaries. 

Once lost, belonging is hard to find, mutual support is lost, and what you have known may not help.

GLVES sings:

“I am a ghost, I am hollow”

Even understanding how and why can be beyond you:

“Gonna just drift here with all of these pieces
This is a lesson or is it deception?
Will it open a door? Is it the end of it all?”

… and where does that leave you?

“When everything I see is something that I'm not
I try to fit in, but it all just feels so wrong
I'm lost”

leaving suffering the consequences … 

“All of this deepness buried myself in
All of the routines lost all their meaning
I'm getting impatient, when will this stage end?
I'm fading”

This feeling is not unique to First Nations people, but the last 200 years has made it endemic.

This is a beautiful and delicate song, with a powerful message.

GLVES - Lost - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-02

Two bars in and I’m back to that 70s folk revival era yet again.

This is a wonderfully light ballad, with an interesting mix of traditional instruments.

Yes, if I want to call a Hammond organ a traditional instrument, I will!

We lead in with an accordion and guitar.

The verses themselves are simple guitar and vocal.

Then the Hammond and some harmony come in for the chorus.

“And the windmills turn, like giants in the mist
And I can't stop myself from tilting at them
And the windmills turn and they throw me to the ground
I'm small I'm nothing to them and I know it now”

A Quixotic adventure indeed, with a realisation that comes too late.

“Onto the field I lead
A thousand weary men
And I wonder I chose to fight when we could have fled”

An analogy, or a real experience? Either way there’s an appeal for outside validation, the auditor is not named, but implied.

“I stopped and asked does all this fuss ever wear you down?
She said for all your follies
I can't stay mad at you”

… and so it goes

“The road goes straight ahead
I never see the bends
and I rush towards the same mistakes again”

If these sounds and lyrics have made you prick up your ears, you won’t hear better.

Things of Stone and Wood are touring, and will be in Victoria at the end of April.

Things of Stone and Wood - The Windmills Turn - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-09

Let me say at the outset, I love jigsaw puzzles, so the idea of using lyric fragments as the pieces and building the music around them was intriguing.

So, lyrical jigsaw puzzles, assembled on a musical bench.

As with all jigsaw puzzles, there has to be a process of conscious selection and assembly.

How big were the jigsaw pieces? They seem to be couplets, which allows a rhyming scheme.

I don’t want to stretch the analogy too far, but it really is a fascinating concept.

Once the puzzle pieces are in order and telling a story, the vocalist has the challenging task of putting a melody to them, and that means considering the musical key and the tempo, and making sure you remain within the limits set by them.

I was not surprised to hear ethereal sounds and dynamic beats, that gives a framework to anchor the vocals.

What I was unprepared for was the swelling and melodic sections, that was a real triumph.

You can definitely mark this as a very successful experiment. The next question is, can this approach be sustained over a number of pieces?

That’s a blooming good question. I have to get this album.


Transparent Bloom - Stay Adrift - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-09

What struck me first was the youthful clarity and purity of Grace’s voice.

Yes, a young voice, but already a significant contribution to the music world. 

In contrast to the last song I reviewed on Tempo, “Spotlight” is a more positive view of the future of a relationship.

Grace’s sings in a light, modulated voice with an unparalleled clarity, and is never challenged by the instrumental backing.

“Spotlight” begins with her vocal and guitar, which expands with a bass, adds harmonies and then the full band comes in, but never challenges her voice.

The theme is about leaving a small town for a wider experience, but in the face of some opposition.

“I got tired of the answer always being no
So I decided just to try and make it on my own
I bought a one-way ticket to nowhere in particular”

That’s always a high risk strategy, but it can have an amazing outcome.

The song says it’s a matter of being positive.

“You'll find me under the spotlight
You and me together, we can make it through whatever
Don't you worry 'cause it's gonna be alright”

Being together, working together, and succeeding together will be inevitable.

“One foot in front of the other
Looking out for one another, holding hands”

There’s hope for their future.

Grace Alexandra - Spotlight - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-09

The notes described this as sparse, and that’s certainly the thing that impacted me most in my first listen to this song.

The percussion is the first and last of the song, a foundation that the rest of the song builds on.

The reliance of the song on this percussion, creates a startling impact the couple of times it drops out during the song.

Martine’s vocal is fluid, and has a unique tone, and the multitracking enhances it adding a smoothness.

The main instrumental is clearly being played by synths, but they are not going for an other-worldly sound, in fact it had me thinking of Latin jazz at time.

The hip-hop interlude is a wonderful counterpoint as its limited inflexion is such a contrast to the rest of the music.

The topic is relationships, and the vocals are as similar one way, as they are different in another.

So there’s a little cryptic comment, and you will have to listen carefully to the vocals, in the context of the music, to spot that.

Still, as J Nui says, “This the part I like.”

J Nui & Martine Kite - SEE U 2 - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-09

Since I first heard ‘Still Tea’, I have been on the lookout for more material from Stellar Moon.

This her third track I’ve been sent, and it has been worth waiting for!

Her control and depth has been growing and developing since the track ‘Still Tea,’ and it was brilliant then.

‘Dark Night’ is full on, rich, nuanced and precise.

The biggest difference is that she now has a full brass section, and that has a punch you will take some time recovering from.

Brass has that in your face presence as only brass can do.

The song also draws on Caribbean influences in its rhythm.

Despite all that instrumental sonic pressure, Stellar Moon is front and centre with her dynamic vocals coming through fearlessly and clearly.

This is a song about fearlessness and overcoming, 

“I’ve been to the depths - Of dark quiet night
Danced in the sludge where monsters reside
Tip toed on egg shells - broken glass too
Bled across floors – begged for more - time over due”

The worst thing about abuse, is when you are made to feel you deserve it, and you welcome it. 

“I made it through - I made it through
They didn’t beat me down – like I wanted them too - I made it through
I made it through – Carrying all my scars - I made it through
Here in the light I speak my truth & every day time I made it through”

“Rangkarr Marrinka Yimboolan (Sunrise is coming)”

Stellar Moon - Dark Night - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-16

The ongoing instrumental theme in this song is deep, majestic and powerful.

To me that reflects a metaphoric use of language in the lyrics – weighed down, slowed, drowned.

Some sections have a crashing entrance, leaving with an ascending harp arpeggio,the break of the wave, the rolling swell behind, and then cresting the wave.

It’s a repeated refrain

“Weighed down, pushing it underneath
Slowed, drowned, feeling you’re incomplete”

With the emphatic “You’re not alone, not on your own” breaking that mood.

This is an impressive soundscape, well written lyrics working with and across the instrumental.

The full album matches this high standard.

On Diamond - Not On Your Own - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-16

The first thought I had when listening to this piece, is how lush and smooth it was.

I think that can be largely put down to a bass, cello foundation.

In fact, it’s the cello which does most of the heavy lifting, carrying the melody.
A piano in the higher registers assists in the instrumental bridge, providing a counterpoint to the cello, replacing the vocals.

The vocals come from Paul and Maia in a synchronised delivery.

The lyrics have some very clever phrases.

“But I will still be holding you, 
If you are still beholden to
The phantom of our past”

The piece comes together as a beautifully matched and merged instrumental and vocal.

For a first collaboration, this is a wonderfully balanced and mature sound.

If this is their first collaboration, their future work will be stunning.

Dusken Lights - Kisses, Kisses, Kisses - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2026-03-16

Yes, that’s abrupt, but I checked the three audio versions I was sent, plus the youtube version, and they all end with that rather savage cut.

Now, moving beyond that …

The piece kicks off with some deep synth sounds.

It’s a ponderous sound, which matches some of the rather bleak lyrics.

“What to do? All I knew was to run away
Never knew what a cruel world we're living in”

The theme seems to be one of depression and drug use, and the inevitability of the downward spiral which follows.

Even so there’s welcome shift to more positive major chords in the chorus.

“It's too late to forgive me, I know I can be lazy
Please don't say that you'll save me, you'll crave me
Dream someday that we made it, cleaned up good, kid, you saved me
From myself, need to hold somebody”

But then there’s that ending, a short dramatic exit is only too frequent on the street.

It’s not often that a song has such an impact on me, and leaves me shocked in the way it finishes and makes me wonder.

Bootleg Rascal  - Street Shark - Tempo Review

Weekly uploads of reviews and interviews from the program, "Tempo". "Tempo" is a weekly radio program presented by John Lamp, highlighting a wide range of music and music reviews on 94.7 the Pulse in Geelong, Wadawurrung country. John has been involved in community radio since 1976, initially with a music program "Parcel of Rogues" on 7CAE-FM in Hobart, Tasmania. After moving to Geelong, he joined 94.7 the Pulse on the program "Folks Alive", which morphed into "~meanderings~." John then spent a decade on the station Boards of Management before returning to the air in 2022 with his new program "Tempo." Full programs can be accessed at the link below.

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