Lucy Frost weave vulnerability and quiet devastation into Lead Paint, a haunting alt-pop slow burner built on ghostly guitars, delicate acoustics, and emotionally exposed songwriting. With a restrained yet deeply affecting atmosphere, the track explores the painful awareness of staying drawn toward something harmful simply because it feels familiar and comforting. Lucy Frost balances cinematic melancholy with diaristic intimacy, allowing every lyric to land with subtle emotional weight rather than dramatic excess. Fragile, reflective, and beautifully bittersweet, Lead Paint unfolds like a late-night confession illuminated by fading light and unresolved longing.
David Serby capture late-night heartbreak and working-class melancholy on Flight Path, a richly textured roots-rock ballad suspended between emotional collapse and the dream of escape. Galloping rhythms, dusty guitar strums, and beautifully mournful pedal steel create the sensation of motion without arrival, mirroring the song’s portrait of strained relationships, economic frustration, and restless longing beneath the roar of passing airplanes. Serby’s storytelling feels cinematic yet deeply grounded, transforming everyday despair into vivid Americana poetry filled with neon lights, cracked walls, and fragile hope. Worn-in, reflective, and emotionally resonant, Flight Path lingers like the fading glow of a runway disappearing into the night sky.
There are albums that impress on first listen, and there are albums that stay with you long after the final note fades. 42 Days, the long-awaited new album from the Rose Carleo Band, firmly belongs in the latter category. Eight years in the making, it delivers everything that has made the band such a formidable live force: heart, soul, grit, melody, storytelling and, above all, songs that matter.
Opening track “You Ain’t Foolin’ Me” immediately lays down the band’s calling card. Mick Adkins’ unmistakable guitar tone leads the charge before Rose Carleo’s powerhouse vocal takes centre stage. Stylish, gritty Australian hard rock with attitude and soul, it’s an opening statement that tells you exactly what this band is about. “Hide Away” that follows brings a more immediate melodic punch. Built around a deceptively simple idea and a memorable hook, it’s one of those songs that reminds you how powerful great songwriting can be. Warm, uplifting and instantly accessible, it provides one of the album’s most infectious moments.
The pace continues with “Eulogy For The Devil”, a surging tribute to Elvis Presley. Driven by strong melodies and an undeniable sense of purpose, it celebrates the rebellious spirit and enduring legacy of The King while allowing the band to flex its rock credentials in style.
One of the album’s standout moments arrives with “Daisy’s Song”. Having heard it live during the band’s visit to Western Australia last year, it was already clear this was something special. On record, it exceeds expectations. A magnificent slow-burn power ballad with a huge emotional payoff, it recalls the golden era of Australian rock while showcasing one of the finest vocal performances Rose has committed to tape. This is the kind of song that would have been a massive radio hit in another era.
The hard-rocking “Son Of God” shifts gears once more. Driven by a dirty, AC/DC-flavoured groove and an unforgettable chorus, it captures the band at their most direct and powerful. It’s one of those tracks that burrows into your memory after a single listen and refuses to leave. At the halfway mark, “Remember Me” reinforces one of the band’s greatest strengths: storytelling. Based on a true story, it unfolds like a cinematic tale, drawing the listener into its emotional world through strong narrative and restrained musical confidence. The Rose Carleo Band consistently rise above standard rock clichés, and this track is a perfect example of why.
The beautifully crafted “Where She Sleeps” is among the album’s most moving moments. Dedicated to Milly Broadby, it balances heartbreak and hope with remarkable grace. Tender, reflective and utterly absorbing, it demonstrates the emotional depth that runs throughout the record. That balance between warmth and power continues on “Sacrifice”. Beginning with a bluesy swagger before opening into a soaring slow-rocker, the song builds steadily, allowing both the musicianship and songwriting to shine. It’s another example of the band’s ability to create drama without sacrificing melody.
The lone cover, “Dirt Bound”, originally written by Pontus Snibb of Bonafide, feels completely at home here. Snibb even guests on the track, and fans of classic hard rock will appreciate how naturally it slots into the album’s flow. The Rose Carleo Band make it their own while preserving the raw energy that made the original such a fan favourite.
The title track, “42 Days”, is one of the emotional centrepieces of the album. Written in memory of Rose’s sister Cathy, it transforms grief into celebration, remembrance and resilience. Deeply personal yet universally relatable, it’s among the strongest songs on a record already overflowing with highlights. Closing track “Line ‘Em Up” sends the album out exactly as it should: with a fist raised high and the amps turned up. A joyous celebration of life in a rock band, it’s an anthem for musicians, fans and anyone who understands the thrill of loud guitars, long roads and shared experiences.
What makes 42 Days so compelling is its balance. The band move effortlessly between hard rock, heartfelt balladry, personal reflection and outright celebration without ever losing momentum. Every song serves a purpose, every performance feels genuine, and every musician contributes to the whole.
As legendary Australian rock journalist Murray Engleheart once declared: “Here’s the thing: Rose Carleo is the next Queen of Australian rock.” After listening to 42 Days, it’s difficult to argue. Backed by the exceptional guitar work of Mick Adkins, the rock-solid groove of Bill Kervin on bass and the powerhouse drumming of Mick O’Shea, Rose Carleo delivers the performance of her career on an album that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Eight years may be a long time between albums, but 42 Days proves it was time well spent. This is a collection packed with memorable songs, emotional depth and world-class performances from one of Australia’s finest rock bands. And if you haven’t seen the Rose Carleo Band live yet, do yourself a favour and change that. They remain one of the most compelling live acts in the country.
The Rose Carleo Band:
Rose Carleo – Vocals, Guitar
Mick Adkins – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Bill Kervin – Bass, Backing Vocals
Mick O’Shea – Drums, Backing Vocals
9/10 A powerful, heartfelt Australian rock album that rewards every listen.
I’m holding on To something there in the distance I’m holding on Not drifting back to the place I know
Dreampop duo Secret Attraction’s latest single, Moments of Forever, is a bubbly synth reverie that churns forward hopefully, its soft-focus fatalism glowing just beneath the surface. Derek Wise and Rachel Hutchins send the song floating somewhere past the freeway lights, where its glassy lift and gauzy ache feel like it could be nestled in a playlist alongside luminaries like Lush, Pale Saints, Beach House, and Cocteau Twins.
Moments of Forever moves with the strange sweetness of a breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers through a botanical garden at dusk: light on the skin, but heavy with memory. Wise’s production keeps the edges clean, each synth line polished enough to catch a little moonlight, while the beat moves with a disciplined ache that never begs for drama. Hutchins’s gauzy, ethereal presence gives the track its human temperature; she glides through the melody with a steadiness that makes the lyric’s uncertainty feel more dangerous. “I’m holding on,” repeated like a grip tightening in the dark, becomes a pressure point, the phrase someone says while deciding whether the future is worth the trouble.
The song’s power lies in the way it declines to inflate its own wistful sadness into a cathedral. The words are spare, the feeling plain, and the track trusts its small materials. Wise lets the synths do the heavy lifting, sending bright, glassy figures upward while the drums keep their steady pace beneath Hutchins’s voice. What might have become melodrama instead settles into tender motion: a small, stubborn act of continuation, graceful enough to glow and grounded enough to keep moving.
Listen to Moments of Forever below, and order the single here.
Catch Secret Attraction on their East Coast tour in June!
Amani Burnham has a background and approach to music that manages to put a fresh, unique spin on combining traditional blues connection with a highly-charged electric presentation.
Blind Pig Records has a strong belief in his future as he’s among the featured artists in a very strong roster. In an accompanying press release to his debut album, Roots And Wings they offer: “It’s fitting that Amani’s first album opens with a song called “Fastlane,” as his career has been pedal to the metal.” And they proudly boast: “It was surreal to see a 19-year-old on Instagram wielding a white Fender Stratocaster with such dexterous ferocity and sensual charisma.”
Burnham deftly represents the ‘next generation’ artist, making full use of social media by “gaining massive online popularity through his signature thumb-driven guitar style.” And added to this are his strong and welcoming vocals.
Born in Ethiopia but raised in Connecticut to adoptive parents, the 20-year-old has developed a style steeped in traditional blues handed down by the icons, Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon but transformed into a fun and sparkling new articulation of blues-rock.
He says he was influenced from all corners of the guitar world, including icons Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robin Trower and Buddy Guy. But there’s little doubt it was Hendrix who left the strongest impression in both guitar and voice.
Adept at both lead and rhythm, Roots And Wings features several blistering guitar solos. And maybe it was his beginnings as a drummer that account for the sometimes backline-dominating drums in the final mix.
As promised by the release, Burnham catches your attention right out of the gate with an excited guitar-drum-driven instrumental, entitled, “Fastlane.” It’s brimming with the influence of Stevie Ray Vaughan.
“I Wanna Know” is more deliberate with a slower paced bluesy rhythm before delivering some more electric guitar bridges.
The title track, “Roots & Wings,” conjures immediate images of Hendrix, even employing the classic ‘Kiss the Sky’ phrase. Burnham is not shy about putting his guitar skills out front and centre. Driving, sometimes overbearing, drums keep a strict backbeat throughout. The song is personal as Burnham shared, “I don’t know who my birth parents are, and that plays a big part in my life.”
In fact, Burnham has stated, “The Last Thing I Remember,” “I Wanna Know,” and “Roots & Wings” are all highly personal themes of identity and belonging, reflecting his experience as an adoptee.
Next up is “The Last Thing I Remember.” It paints a clear picture of a nightmarish encounter. Guitar pyrotechnics overlay another drum-heavy rhythm.
“Bluejay” is an upbeat barn-burner with a catchy bridge and literal expression of the freedom of a bird released from a cage.
Weighty tom-toms open “You Can’t Heal What You Hide” before it settles into an upbeat shuffle. Lyrics offer hope for anyone in need of a helping hand.
“Sideways Thru Time” is a clever narrative set to an infectious rhythm. It gives way to “Waiting By The Window.” It’s a straight-ahead rock and roll song with a classic feel.
A tale of lovers governed by destiny, “Lovers Till They Die,” is wrapped in an upbeat rollicking rhythm, once again punctuated by Burnham’s guitar highlights.
It isn’t until “Midnight Waterfall” that things slow down with a more melodic, thoughtful time of reflection for the performer that manages to carry the listener along.
The tempo resumes with “Some Sorta Love.” Here Burnham cleverly intertwines the story contained in the lyrics with musical metaphors.
The final track is a longer piece, opening with some fine slow blues. Adding some space between the notes gives the listener a little more time to appreciate the nuances of Burnham’s guitar prowess. Written by Elmore James and Marshall Sehorn, it represents the only piece not penned by Burnham and Jeff Schroedl, who also doubled as producer.
The band is backed by drummer Ray Hangen and bassist Matt Raymond.
Roots and Wings is a fitting album title for a young man expressing his connection to the roots of blues through an album marking the flight launch of his young career. There promises to be a thrill ride ahead as younger audiences are bound to be swept along by this charismatic, blues-rock alchemist.
The Review:8.5/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– I Wanna Know – Fastlane – The Last Thing I Remember – Midnight Waterfall – Roots & Wings
Ministry Of Sound Dance Party returns to Australia in December.
Saliva have just released brand new track Sadistic Love.
