Brisbane's The Triffid has announced the nominees for its second annual Queensland Album Of The Year award, with the winner set to have their album spine added to a prime position on the venue's legend-filled music wall of fame for the next year.
Voting is open now through 8 November, right here on theMusic.com.au. Entrants will go in the running to win five double passes to a show of their choosing over the 12 months following the announcement of this year's winner. Conditions apply.
Before you go and have your say, get to know the nominees a little more below.
Busby Marou — Postcards From The Shell House
Rockhampton-bred duo Busby Marou earned their first ARIA #1 album with their third studio effort, Postcards From The Shell House, when it emerged in February this year, four years after their top-five-placing second full-length, Farewell Fitzroy.
Their inclusion among this year's batch of nominees is a well-earned one, the band having made a name for themselves from the remoteness of central Queensland to become one of the most acclaimed, accessible acoustic outfits the state has to offer. Indeed, The Music's Dylan Stewart mused in his review that the pair of Tom Busby and Jeremy Marou "are at their best when they're throwing down three-minute guitar-pop tunes, and their growing legion of fans are sure to lap up this latest collection".
Bernard Fanning — Brutal Dawn
No stranger to any Australian music fan worth their salt, Bernard Fanning is already featured on The Triffid's wall by virtue of his work with acclaimed outfit Powderfinger, but his most recent solo effort would be a most worthy addition on its own merits.
Released in May this year — less than 12 months after his previous full-length, Civil Dust — Brutal Dawn matched its predecessors peak of #2 on the ARIA album chart and won broad critical acclaim, with The Music's Matt O'Neill summarising the album as "ramshackle and eclectic in a way Fanning hasn't really been since Powderfinger's Internationalist with the rootsy folksiness of his best solo work to date" and "potentially the best work he's delivered since his debut".
Holy Holy — Paint
Brisbane-Melbourne band Holy Holy were nominated for this award in its first year off the strength of their 2015 debut album When The Storms Would Come, and now they're back with another shot at mural glory thanks to their excellent sophomore full-length Paint, which landed in February this year.
Paint went on to reach top-10 heights on the ARIA album chart (hitting a peak of #7) and the "noisy, colourful and exploratory" release became a critical darling in the wake of its arrival. The Music reviewer Matt O'Neill dubbed it "a gorgeous listen", full of "breathy melodies … gatecrashed by massive synths" and "beautiful songs … built off wonky rhythms". His advice: "Do not miss it."
The Jungle Giants — Quiet Ferocity
The Jungle Giants have come a long way since the days of their breakthrough single Mr Polite, the band having consistently defied expectation from album to album over the course of their career.
Having well and truly left their days as cookie-cutter jjjindie-popsters behind them, the band reached new and ambitious heights on third full-length Quiet Ferocity. Sure, they've retained the jangly warmth and affable accessibility that made them a hit in the first place, but there's more going on beneath the surface than ever before, The Music's Jessica Dale remarking that the album shows "maturity and growth … and it's easy to hear that producing the work themselves has influenced their updated sound".
Sabrina Lawrie — Hush The Mountain
Following a tough year in 2016 that saw her spend several months recovering after a serious fall, Sabrina Lawrie has bounced back in a big way. Having signed with nascent local label Pig City Records late last year, Lawrie released her long-awaited debut full-length, Hush The Mountain, in March this year.
While her renown may not extend as far as some of her fellow nominees, those who know her — and know her extensive history as part of Brisbane's musical fabric — love her fiercely, and her dedicated following in addition to her considerable talent could prove the ace up her sleeve to contend with some of her better-known contemporaries. In describing Hush The Mountain, 4ZZZ's Andrew Bartlett described the album as "definitely one out of the top drawer", noting that "the variety and richness within and across the nine tracks certainly have the feel of something that has been developed, crafted and matured over time".
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