THINGS OF STONE AND WOOD return with new Double A-sided single ahead of first new album in 23 years and national tour
Things of Stone and Wood are back, and they are in fine acoustic form, indeed.
The double a-side single “You’d Gone before You Went/The Windmills Turn”, from their first album since 2003, Rae Street will be released via MGM on February 20 and is available to pre-save now –
Things of Stone and Wood – You’d Gone Before You Went / The Windmills Turn
While the new album Rae Street has yet to be formally announced, we can tell you it will be released in March and the band will undertake a national tour around its release. And that tour is announced today:
THINGS OF STONE AND WOOD – THE ORIGINAL DUO
– RAE ST ALBUM LAUNCH TOUR –
Wed Mar 11 Ellington Jazz Club, Perth WA
Thu Mar 12 The River, Margaret River WA
Fri Mar 12 Clancy’s Fremantle WA
Thu 19 & Fri Mar 20 Junk Bar, Brisbane Qld (2 Shows)
Sat Mar 21 The Presynct, Nambour Qld
Fri Mar 27 Django Bar, Sydney NSW
Sat Mar 28 Smith’s Alternative, Canberra ACT
Dri 24 & Sat 25 April Merri Creek Tavern, Melbourne Vic
Fri May 1 Old Church of the Hill, Bendigo VIC
Tickets: thingsofstoneandwood.com
The two songs on the new single are exemplars of the melodic and harmonically pleasing style that has helped establish them as a near 40-year Australian folk-rock institution, but here, they embrace a new millennium bedroom-folk aesthetic (recorded, as they were, in a converted bedroom).
While musically and lyrically spartan, “You’d Gone Before You Went” is a deeply moving account of Greg Arnold’s experience of losing his mother to Alzheimer’s. A direct vocal, lush backing vocals and minimalist instrumentation are subtly combined to deliver one of the finest hours in the catalogue of this APRA and ARIA awarded songwriter.
“The Windmills Turn” is a rollicking and classically joyous Things of Stone and Wood Celtic-Hippie clap-along-sing-along. Accordions, melodicas, hand drums, shakers and lush backing vocals (again – as always) bring the party, which all serve to underpin the more reflective mood of the lyric, which is a study of the quixotic life of a musician.
Why would anyone try to make the ocean waterproof?
Exactly.
The double a-side single is an innovative and charming reminder of why Things of Stone and Wood have long been considered “Melbourne’s most inspired and inspiring folk-rock band” (Michael Dwyer) and as “The Windmills Turn” says …
You can’t stay mad at them.
