Description
Faces in the Street – Bring Back Tomorrow
CD review by Tony Smith
TN170 May 25
This Melbourne band consists of John Fraser (lead vocals and guitar), Rowan Cole (vocals, mandolin and lead guitar) and John Zak (bass and guitar).
There are also contributions from Cameron McKenzie on various instruments and Cath Rutten, who provides additional vocals.
They dedicate the album to late friend, mentor and guitar teacher, Roger.
McKenzie also recorded most of the tracks at Station PL Studios, Glenhuntly.
‘Old to new’ was produced by Craig Newman at Dewey Studios, Moorabbin.
The almost entirely monochrome cover shows the three men in silhouette, so they are indeed faceless.
No doubt the band’s name is an acknowledgement of the powerful Henry Lawson poem of that name, which says that it is a lie that there is no want in this land.
Of the ten tracks, all were written by Fraser and Cole, but they share the credits with M.Munson for ‘it’s not me’.
The other tracks are ‘bring back tomorrow’, ‘hope’, ‘lifters and leaners’, ‘time machine’, ‘hope you’re ok’, ‘house falling down’, ‘it’s for free’, ‘old to new’ and ‘together’.
The use of lower case for the song titles is perhaps a further gesture of humility.
Two of the trio displayed a sense of humour when they formed the Keynes Brothers.
They chose that name because they are fond of worn out economic theories.
There are very sweet harmonies on the title track especially.
Comparison with Crowded House springs to mind.
The mandolin, both when backing and leading instrumental breaks, is always better than good.
The R.E.M. mandolin did not reach these heights.
The bass is strong throughout, but especially on ‘it’s for free’ and ‘old to new’.
The arrangements are attractive and appropriate and show the band can handle minor as well as major keys.
The sleeve includes full lyrics, but they are hardly needed as Fraser’s diction is clear and his timing and phrasing spot on.
This is important, because the words of the songs are sometimes very effective indeed.
There is strong advice in ‘it’s for free’:
‘if you want it to return/ when you give love away/ you’ve got to let it come back/ in its own way’.
You cannot force someone to love you.
‘it’s from me/ it’s for free/ i have no expectations’.
True love does not come with strings attached.
When I looked at the printed lyrics, I wondered how they would fit the rhythms, but Fraser’s phrasing, while sometimes surprising, is always perfect.
The band’s social critique is strong but not strident.
At times they reminded me of Redgum.
‘it’s a strange, strange world we live in, whispered cries an unheard call’.
And ‘they chose to watch society fall, they took it all, and then they reached for more, with corporations there’s no need for war, what armies could not do’.
And they note the irony of the situation and the depth of denial.
The protest is plain in ‘we live in a jungle but it’s not fun … this isn’t my story’.
The social debilitation is clear: ‘you can talk about the weather … keep things safe, you can stick to AFL … safer words we try to use’.
Faces in the Street deserve wider recognition.
Their lyrics are strong and their presentation of them shows highly skilled musicianship.
Bring Back Tomorrow is a very mature album indeed.
New faces in the street are ones to remember
by Annie Johnsson
TN169 Mar 25
Faces In The Street is a new Melbourne based Folk trio who are originally born of the acoustic duo The Keynes Brothers.
Their debut LP ‘Bring Back Tomorrow’, out on March 21, marks their transition from acoustic origins to a more progressive Indie Folk genre, and their expansion from a two piece to a trio.
Founded by John Fraser (vocals/guitar) and Rowan Cole (vocals/mandolin/guitar/mandola), the Keynes Brothers drew inspiration from folk, rock, and country blues.
Fraser and Cole have co-written an extensive catalogue of songs exploring life’s challenges, the human condition and the power of hope and perseverance.
In 2024, the pair were joined by John Zak (bass/guitar/synth) who brought country, swamp blues and Latin jazz influences into the band’s repertoire.
Faces in the Street is the natural evolution of a band that remains focused on storytelling and vocal harmonies within an evocative soundscape of acoustic and electric instrumentation.
The band name was taken from Henry Lawson’s poem of the same name.
‘Bring Back Tomorrow’ provides a window into the past decades’ life journeys and observations of songwriters John Fraser and Rowan Cole.
The album was produced by Cameron McKenzie and recorded at Station Place Studios, Glenhuntly, Victoria, except for ‘Old to New’, which was engineered by Craig Newman and recorded at Dewey Studios, Moorabbin, Victoria.
‘Bring Back Tomorrow’ highlights the impacts of socio political change viewed through a personal, reflective lens.
The songs provide insights, hope, and optimism in challenging times.
The album opener, ‘It’s Not Me’, is a breezy acoustic song exploring the effects of group think on an unsuspecting community, and features the bass and cello from Cameron McKenzie.
The title track up next follows a similar theme.
The protagonist lamenting the dangers of echo chambers, this time captured in a fast paced folky style.
‘Hope’ is a more personal song, a beautifully crafted and evocative story of relationships and the impact of time, while ‘Lifters and Leaners’ is a thoughtful portrayal of the horrors of neoliberalism and how it can leave people behind.
‘Time Machine’, set to a resonant mariachi beat, is about the power of music to evoke strong memories and help overcome the challenges that all people face, while ‘Hope You’re Ok’ is a lilting consideration of the challenge of modern relationships.
The suffering of ordinary people during the global financial crisis is the subject of the next track, ‘House Falling Down’.
‘It’s For Free’, with its country swing rhythm, is a tale of how fear can imprison hearts, and how human relationships can be reduced to the status of transactions.
The final two tracks, ‘Old To New’, a mournful insight into climate grief, and ‘Together’, a stark commentary on neoliberalism, set to an acoustic soundscape of light and dark colours, are both a call to action in dangerous times.
‘Bring Back Tomorrow’ indeed.
