New Gods – A Band Review

     This is the best time of the year for music discovery. Bloggers post their top songs of the year and everyone benefits. Indie Obsessive publishes its list early, so that our focus can turn to benefitting from the efforts of others.

     Our favorite source of breaking Australian music, Triple J Unearthed, put together a number of lists. The lists are accessible at http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/bestof/14/. One is titled “Top Ten Unearthed Tracks You Missed.” One of the ten songs was “Millionaire” by New Gods. We missed it.

     “Millionaire” is a relaxed song with a comforting feel. Comforting, until you listen to the lyrics. The lyrics have a “Cat’s in the Cradle” (Harry Chapin) message to them – a father who has come to the realization that his life’s concentration on hard work limited his time with family. In “Millionaire,” the father appears to be in his final days, “Come over here son, hold my hand; spend a little time with your ol’ man.” Yes, he fondly remembers his wedding day and how he held his wife in his arms while she slept, but he thought about the future and the money. But the song concludes, “I’d take it all back and throw it into the sea.”

     The instruments play a key role in establishing the desired atmosphere for “Millionaire.” It’s tempting to refer to the instrumentation as minimalistic, since a single instrument (the piano) is featured through most of the song and it remains relatively unassuming. But the instrumentation isn’t “stripped to its minimum.” The cello is not essential, but it is powerful. The violin adds to the poignancy of the cello. The rolling cymbal works well with the piano.  
     New Gods is from Melbourne. The members are Adrian Beltrame (guitar), Richard Bradbeer (bass), Dominic Byrne (vocals and guitar), Dale Packard (keys), and Sam Raines (drums). In “Millionaire,” the strings are provided by Sophie di Tempora (vioin) and Jessica Anne Venables (cello).

     “Millionaire” by New Gods

     “I Love You Too” by New Gods

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newgodsmusic

Website: http://belovedalbum.com/