Album Review: Sarah Mary Chadwick - Sugar Still Melts In The Rain

One of Melbourne's best-kept secrets continues to display an ear for song structure, lyrics, melody and, of course, misery and misanthropy.

Waiting On A Season's closing line provides the best example of the types of themes one can expect ("And I'll pull you close I'm still alone/My love is smoke, your love is foam/And life is bleak") and gives one the impression that this is not a happy album (and this impression would be right).

Where her earlier albums were only vocals and electric guitar (now traded in for keys) a number of tracks on this album feature Geoff O'Connor and Tim Deane-Freeman on bass and drums respectively, giving the songs a depth that was previously lacking. The result shifts the dynamic and songs like Flow Over Me and It's Never Ok are given a lot more substance. All this reaches a crescendo on the title track, which also gives a slight nod to Radiohead's Creep and is evidence that Chadwick is branching out more and growing in confidence as a singer and songwriter.

Despite the lowness of it all, the album, helped by some solid production, reveals a side of Chadwick not previously heard and hopefully paves the way for what should be an interesting live set.