Soundslikecafe @ home

This is a compilation of songs from new Australian artists, ranging from folk and blues to electro-pop.One to enjoy whilst sipping a latte or indulging in a cappuccino.
Featuring:
Jesse Morris, Ben Marshall, Pat Carr, The Bad Machines, Kolliope, Jeff Cashen, Tecoma, Rosie Burgess, Altruism, Jude Elliot, Van Sereno, The Honey Palace, The Woodenelves, Doug Sandrini

soundslikecafe@home by John Williams
Soundslikecafe was established with the specific purpose of distributing new, good quality music to cafes and coffee shops all around Australia. They must be doing something right, as they are now up to CD number 21. This CD is aiming to tap into the home market, with a similar concept and is their first attempt at that. The 14 tracks appear to be written by the performers themselves (it’s not always clear from the cover). This is a novel way of introducing new Australian music to a wider audience. All power to them and I hope they continue to prosper as anything we can do to promote live Australian music is a worthwhile exercise. I’ll get off my soapbox now. Jesse Morris’ “Moon Hi” is a quiet start to the album, with a bit of a Leonard Cohen sound to it. I really liked Ben Marshall’s “Ratify” about the Kyoto Treaty. It had an upbeat sound. “Do You Feel Alright” by Pat Carr is a catchy tune about relationships. The Bad Machines’ “South Coast” is a catchy number with a very interesting vocal track. I’d like to have a coffee while listening to this one. “New Ground” by Kolliope has a soft percussion track which I found intriguing. Jeff Cashen’s “Naked in the Light” is a strong sound. I enjoyed Cashen’s voice – it has a quality to it which makes for very easy listening. Tecoma’s “Air to Me” is another track with an interesting vocal sound. I like this one a lot and found the guitar sound quite catchy. “Humble Pie” by Rosie Burgess has interesting lyrics and Rosie has a voice that is worth listening to. Altruism’s “Amuse My Soul” has a pleasant vocal and nice guitar work. “Surrender” by Jude Elliot is a beautiful song with very powerful vocals. Van Sereno’s “Little Bonsai” was a very easy to listen to track. “Matter of Time” by The Honey Palace has a haunting vocal track and was one of my favorites on the CD. The Woodenelves’ “A Little Bit of Me” was louder than the other tracks on the CD with strong percussion – I liked it. The CD concludes with Doug Sandrini’s “Radiate”. This had a great guitar sound and Sandrini’s voice is unique. I enjoyed this a lot. The tracks are meant to be played in the background as you have a coffee or a meal and because of this, none are intrusive sounds which would spoil the ambiance of a café. It would be a great CD to have playing in the background while you had friends over for a meal.