Dark Blue

Blue
Andrew McCubbin and the Hope Addicts
1am, 2007
3 stars

With all the young'uns hogging the local independent spotlight this year, it would have been easy for the third release from Andrew McCubbin and his Hope Addicts to slip by unnoticed. Then again, screaming "this is 2007" with this album was never the point - the songs on Blue are the type of timeless gems that could have come out of any beer-soaked Melbourne band room in the last twenty or so years. This is an album of shady melancholy and momentary bursts of light - McCubbin's half-sung half-whispered words speak of lust and longing, and the cascade of wooden instrument-weilding musicians that accompany him produce a rich sound that is at once grand and understated. Blue defies fashion, making for a great listen both now and in the years to come.

Artwork: C-

Published in mX, Monday 1 October 2007.