Wartime Sweethearts - Pancake Orion

I've been trying to decide whether or not to write this review as purely a music listener, or as a music listener who happens to know those involved in the the music making. In the end I think I'm going to have to admit that while I am slightly influenced by the fact that I'm friends with them, I'm still very much aware of what I like musically, and will review it accordingly.

Wartime Sweethearts is the brain child of Louise Nutting and features the talents of other musicians such as Wyatt Moss-Wellington, Able Cross, Bryce Kerr, Hamish Stuart, Angus Cornwell, Kirsten Nutting, Andy Vegas, Ian Watson and Kaitlin Wright on various tracks. Pancake Orion is the debut album of this musical entity and an album I personally have been hanging out for since the very first time I met Louise. I was introduced to her for the first time at a gig she was to play before Wyatt at the Lansdowne Hotel in Sydney. From her opening instrumental (at the time called: 'The Evil Castle On The Hill', which unfortunately didn't make the album, though I will concede that it is slightly more B-Side material) I was hooked. There, playing before me, was the exact type of musician that I love to listen to. I believe after the show I informed Louise that I would be stalking her from then on, and if possible, I would like to have her sit on my desk and sing to me while I went about my business.

At the time I think likened her to a mix between Róisín Murphy, Björk and maybe a slightly more Jazz influenced Emilíana Torrini. Now I think I would change those associations, but I'm not entirely sure to what. I've seen Wartime Sweethearts live quite a few times between then and now, and particularly after having a good listen to Pancake Orion, I strongly believe that this music is original and brilliant in it's own right, not simply because it reminds me of other musicians I like.

The album opens with an interesting beat and a deep rhythmic humming which always seems to make me expect something other than the jazzy, fast paced song of which it's a part. This unsuspecting blending of genres works perfectly and lets you know that this will be a thoroughly enjoyable album.

As the tracks play on, they mix between thoughtful, beautiful and melancholic melodies like The Sea Ceiling and I Am The Mess to the pure jazz fun of Hungry For Heat and Bee Bop (which I am convinced is the type of song Ella Fitzgerald would be singing if she were still alive and had evolved with the times).

In my personal rating of each song in Windows Media Player, where each song gets a rating out of five stars, there is only one track which didn't get the full 5. Rough Ruby got 4 out of 5 simply because it doesn't excite me in quite the same way as the rest of them. I still believe it's a beautiful song with some amazing textures going on in the background almost un-noticed, but comparatively with the rest of them, it's just not quite there.

This review wouldn't be complete without a detailed paragraph about Warmest Chord. While the whole album is impressive, especially considering it was recorded in the living room of their house, the production and sound that was achieved in Warmest Chord blows my mind! The introduction is delightful chime-y affair with a flute/pipe/recorder type instrument that for some reason brings to mind a medieval court. After 30 seconds of that, the Most-Fun-Ever pizzicato violin (played masterfully by Ian Watson) sets the tone for this delicious love song. Because love song it is. Louise Loves Wyatt. Wyatt Loves Louise (you'll have to read My review of Wyatt's album to find out his side of the story). "I'll be your Violin, if you be my beau, you're second fiddle to none." This is the kind of happy, light-headed love that is infectious. The song even ends with happy chimes reminiscent of a Disney film where a character wakes from a lovely dream only to discover that the dream is a reality and the person they love is asleep next to them.

I think my only gripe is one tiny moment in Your Button when there is supposed to be a sound like Velcro being ripped apart. It doesn't sound like that at all. It was explained to me that it is actually Velcro but the noise was too soft so it was enhanced to be more defined (unfortunately beyond recognisability). That aside though, Your Button is a brilliant song which I've always enjoyed hearing since I heart it a that first gig however long ago.

In summary, I would strongly recommend this album and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't also offer readers a chance to buy it! It can be found on CDBaby where you can buy the whole thing, individual tracks or the physical album. Alternatively the physical CD is available from Louise at wartimesweethearts@gmail.com