Music
Review
We review Tash Sultana’s new album Flow State
We have a lot of feelings
After a long wait, Tash Sultana has finally released their long-awaited debut album Flow State last Friday.
If you’ve been listening to triple j last week, you would have heard Tash Sultana’s debut as the feature album for the week, and if you’re anything like the rest of the nation, you’ve probably been digging those tunes.
The Melburnian-based busker turned global superstar has managed to produce, write, perform and arrange all 13 songs. Demonstrating phenomenal skills on 15 separate instruments including the harp, saxophone, pan flute, grand piano and guitar.
First track Big Smoke provided the classic Sultana beat, with some revitalised and impressive vocals, with a fast-paced guitar-drenched ending.
After a few listens, you notice that many of the tracks songs end with that similar build up to a near-frantic pace, after starting from a relaxed, loose R&B tune. This natural progression in each song has become Tash’s staple and works astonishingly well, especially in Cigarettes. In contrast, Harvest Love really slows everything down with her guitar wizardry and precise, jaw-dropping vocals.
The standout piece is easily Seven. Incorporated in the hopes of being picked up for a movie score, Tash has proven herself as an extraordinary music composer. Backed with a synthy hip hop percussion, Seven almost sounds like a synth-wave from space and is very reminiscent of the Greek composer Vangelis. The five-minute song sounds like it came straight from Blade Runner.
After performing Murder to the Mind live at last year’s One Night Stand, it certainly deserves its own inclusion here. The psychedelic vibe accompanied by the gathering-storm riffage of the chorus really sink in with the jazz trumpet to create yet another astounding melody.
Flow State is ultimately flawless and should be on your bucket list to see live.
Words by Connor Carylon
Catch Tash Sultana in 2019:
Pineapple Fields, Sunshine Coast on Saturday 12 January
TheBarton Theatre, Adelaide on Wednesday 27 February and Thursday 28 February Botanical Gardens, Hobart on Saturday 2 March
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne on Thursday 14 March
Riverstage, Brisbane on Thursday 21 March
Mindil Beach, Darwin on Saturday 23 March
Fremantle Oval, Perth on Saturday 30 March.
Tickets available via Ticketmaster.com.au.
