Moo, You Bloody Choir

It’s been a long wait for Moo, You Bloody Choir, Augie March’s latest long-player. Needless to say though, the wait hasn’t been in vain. Many of the tracks on the band’s third album have, over the last two odd years, become live staples, so it was always going to be intriguing as to how they would be treated in the studio. However, from the tender opening of One Crowded Hour, the listener is left in no doubt that the transition from smoky stage to CD will be a smooth one. Whilst it certainly sounds less urgent than Strange Bird, every tune on Moo… still delivers a swift king-hit to the senses. From Glenn Richards’ ruminations on why young men don’t want to get married on Mother Greer, to his controlled rant on Just Passing Through, the album’s overall sound is still as luxurious and plush as an oversized armchair. The exception is the affecting, simply arranged Bottle Baby, which is carried by Richards’ lone, light voice. It’s always a puzzle as to how Augie March manage to cover so much ground on each record so perfectly, veering from lush, soulful balladry to scorching, unsettling rock numbers. The lighter moments on the record come in the form of Thin Captain Crackers and The Baron of Sentiment, with the former providing a chuckle for any Melbourne Uni alumni and the latter, possibly raising the ire of any Neil Young fans. But the edgy, ominous Clockwork is probably the black sheep on the record, sitting beautifully between the gentle Bolte and Dunstan Talk Youth and the buoyant closing track, Vernoona. A fitting end to a grand album.