Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Tones And I, Sony Music 2020.
Regular readers of this column will know that I’ve been championing Tones And I ever since her world-wide hit single Dance Monkey took the music industry by storm.
It’s amazing to think that her phenomenal rise to stardom only started a year ago (May 2019 to be precise) and prior to that she was busking on the streets of Melbourne.
So much has happened in such a short period of time.
Dance Monkey opened the door but her ultimate success rested on what she followed it up with.
As I’ve previously stated, following up the biggest selling single ever released on the Australian charts was never going to be an easy task (she knocked off Bing Crosby’s White Christmas) and although none of the five subsequent singles could match Dance Monkey’s mega hit status, they’ve each been really good songs.
Never Seen The Rain, Bad Child, and Ur So F**ing Cool, have all charted well across the world but I believe that her latest release Fly Away will top them.
It’s a song with a message not to put all your hopes for happiness into possessions, or friendships, or impossible dreams because even if you achieve them you may find that you’re still not happy or contented. Happiness comes from within.
The chorus is truly uplifting.
The best version of the song I’ve seen so far was done for ABC’s Sunday evening music program, The Sound.
It was recorded live in the Rod Laver Arena with a choir and brass section supporting the live band and it had the hairs standing up on the back of my neck.
Check it out on iView if you haven’t seen it.
Tones And I will be releasing her debut album soon and the anticipation is palpable.
She’s really taking her time to make sure that she’s completely happy with it and that’s wise because a lot is riding on it.
An album that doesn’t inspire will label her a singles artist and although she has been incredibly successful as one so far, it’s the longer form that is still considered the ultimate test of an artists’ ability.
Australian music is going through a rich period at the moment.
Heritage acts like ACDC, Midnight Oil, Something For Kate and Powderfinger have hit a golden streak and the Indigenous Music Chart continues to inspire – check it out.
