Nathan’s Favorite Oceanic Albums of 2017

For the 8 or so people who read this blog on the regular, you’ll likely be aware of my affection for all things Oceanic, primarily New Zealand and Australia. So, with year end lists in mind, I thought I’d offer up my personal takes on the best tunes to come out of the area in 2017. There’s no particular order, just my sixteen favorites of the year.

There’s even a fun little playlist at the bottom for you to enjoy!

 

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Check the New Small World Experience Video

  1. Just recently we were alerted to the first Small World Experience LP in a really really long time! Today we’ve got a great video from one of the album’s standout tunes, “Daily Grind.” The song itself recalls those days of no bullshit guitar pop, the sort where folks turned the mundane into the endearing (TV Personalities come to mind for some reason). That fits the video’s image too, offering a casual day in the life of our protagonist-songwriter. Soft Knocks has been released unto the world via Tenth Court/The Business, begging for you to discover its secret joys.

New Music from Small World Experience

Here we are with yet another exciting number from Australia, this side from the lo-fidelity popstars, Small World Experience. They’ve been quiet since 1998, though their album Shelf Life has recently seen the reissue treatment. Here we have this video of the band’s single “Crash Crush” starring a cat on his daily routine. Musically, there’s this lovely underbelly of warm pop, slightly muddled by the band’s recording approach, putting the vocals at the same levels as the music working behind it. Something about the guitar sound feels familiar, almost perfect for our own daily routines. Look for the release of Soft Knocks on June 23rd via Tenth Court (AUS) and The Business (US).