Milk in Brunswick

Band: Milk
Venue: Brunswick Hotel
Date: 1st June 2008
Reviewed By: Heather

This was a special performance for me - it doubled as a benefit (called Songs For Mary) for a friend's sister's family, who are going through a very difficult time with cancer. On that side of things there was a wonderful result, with the money raised exceeding expectations.

I had (shock, horror!) never set foot inside the Brunswick Hotel until that afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised by the clean look of the bar and the good size of the venue. Not too big, but certainly not poky. The biggest feature of the interior was the record wall. They had the most fantastic collection of vintage record sleeves displayed, and it provided a great source of conversation along with a little laughter at some of the more interesting cover artwork.

Milk were just taking the stage as we arrived around fifteen minutes after the advertised time. Their sound? Predominantly folk/roots, with a strong jazz influence and a touch of soul - oh, and some country thrown in for good measure.

The four members of the band are Helen Begley (Vocals, Guitar, Accordion), Emily Hayes (Vocals, percussion), Greg Craske (Vocals, Double Bass) and Teal Bain-Roben (Percussion). Oh, but the guitar was passed around freely between Helen and Emily, and when the ukeleles were on stage everybody seemed to be an expert. Separately they are obviously all great artists, but put them together and the blend is incredible. Helen has a rich and deep, solid tone that contrasts and harmonises perfectly with Emily's clear and sweet jazz voice. When you add the harmonies from both Greg and Teal the effect was breathtaking - a single sound that had a depth and clarity I've rarely seen. Sometimes it was difficult to hear where the melody ended and the harmony began. Songwriting is their strong point. A great sounds without lyrics to match tends to be empty, but every single song told a story.

Their set was varied, including songs from their current album (Shipwrecked at the Royal Oak) along with older songs and even a cover of I Will Survive thrown in at the end as a tribute to Mary's family. However, the standout song was one with a strong story behind it: All Aboard. It was written about their time with activists in the Tasmanian forests who were living on a pirate ship in protest. Emily described it as a song of mourning for the ship and those who lived on it. You can hear it on their Myspace, but that recording doesn't even come close to doing it justice. Hearing it live gave me goosebumps. It's to appear on a Wilderness Society Benefit CD entitled Forests Forever, which includes a huge lineup of Aussie artists.

Milk are not fading into the horizon - they're playing at the Forests Forever CD Launch at the East Brunswick Club on June 8th, and they have a month's residency coming up at the Brunswick Hotel too.

Have a listen to the Myspace or buy their CD, but if you can, get to a live gig. There really is no substitute.