“WILD HORSES WOULDN’T KEEP ME AWAY.” SO SAID MY FRIEND
when I asked if they were still coming over for dinner, despite two days of torrential rain. “Great” I responded – pleased that the beautiful vegan platter Jo had spent hours preparing would not be going to waste. I certainly wouldn’t be eating it! I have heard and used that phrase many times, but never stopped to think what it meant. “Nothing will keep me away.” I get that. But “wild horses wouldn’t keep me away”. When have wild horses ever got in the way of someone trying to go somewhere? Horses always seem pretty flighty to me – more likely to run from any perceived danger than gallop towards it. Who’s scared of a horse? The Trojans loved horses so much they welcomed a giant one into their city – actually, it was full of enemy soldiers, so that ended badly! The Rolling Stones wrote a song about this issue. Childhood living is easy to do The things you wanted I bought them for you Graceless lady you know who I am You know I can't let you slide through my hands Wild horses couldn't drag me away Wild, wild horses couldn't drag me away “Wild Horses” is supposedly Mick Jagger singing about his unconditional love for someone (Marianne Faithfull?). No matter what you say or do to me, I’m gonna stay by your side. Those pesky wild horses ain’t chasin’ me off ! Some reviewers say the song is actually about the pain and suffering of drug addiction – the wild horse is the heroin needle that nearly killed Marianne? Either way, the horse is a problem that needs to be overcome if desires are to be satiated. Talking of wild brumbies, they are now a big problem for the wildlife in Kosciuszko National Park. Following the recent bushfires, as many as 17,000 brumbies are destined to be shot or transported to the knackery, as their growing population critically endangers the habitat. They may be an introduced species, but brumbies appear to cope with the natural order of things better than our natives. They out breed, out eat, and outrun koalas, kangaroos, wombats, wallabies, snakes and lizards. They escape the fire-zone and then nibble away at all the new green shoots, trample the undergrowth with their hard hoofs, and chase off the natives. These wild horses WILL keep you away. 130 years ago and against all the odds, Clancy, the Man from Snowy River, rounded up and tamed the wild bush horses single handed. Surely, with the benefit of multiple enquiries, millions of dollars and past experience we have learned how to share the high country with the brumbies? Just in case we haven’t, be aware, stay chilled, and watch out for the cracking whips and the wild horses. Tony, Byron Bazaar
This week's recommendation
ALBUM TITLE: Stranger Heart E.P. ARTIST: Jack River RELEASED: February 2020 GENRE: Indie Pop, Alternative BIO: Jack River is the alias of Forster's Holly Rankin,
a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer. The E.P. follows her critically acclaimed 1st album in 2018, numerous A.R.I.A. award nominations and it was just released on Valentine’s Day.
WHAT TO EXPECT: It’s not soppy at all, but you can expect
songs about love: coming close to it, hoping for it, thinking they'll be in it, being in it, and holding on to it. Musically, it's light and dreamy whilst grunty beats, whirling guitars and 80's synth pads bring the energy.
WHAT WE LIKE: And it's that blend of musical sounds
that give the release an emotional depth as it walks the line of love's intoxicating happiness and emotional tangles. It crosses genres between pop, indie, electronica and ballads with ease. Tracks range from sing-along electro-pop-folk moments on Night Song and Dark Star to the slow-moving Closer where her lyrical talents are on show: "Swimming in the dark, lazy / Car sea, dust, crazy / Infinity above me, taze me / With your deep-sea eyes, baby / Shake me down, light me up, lay me". The release crescendos on the final track 80's HD following current trends of artists freshening up the 80's synth-pop sound. E.P.s are a great way for listeners to discover the best of new music quickly without filler tracks, and that holds true here. Hey, the music and emotion all come together here just right.
STANDOUT TRACKS: Night Song, Dark Star, Closer. PERFECT FOR: Falling in love with someone in 2020. LISTEN IN IF YOU LIKE: Angie McMahon, Lime Cordiale,
Alex the Astronaut, Taylor Swift. Recommended by Dan McGill.
BYRON BAZAAR
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