:: East Of Everything - Series One Soundtrack

East Of Everything

This compilation is kind of like a Christmas hamper. You probably wouldn’t buy it yourself, but it contains many little treats you’d eagerly get stuck into while on long scenic drives or while reading the weekend paper. Here, the treats are melodic, understated Australiana tunes that accompany those lazy moments of life. East of Everything was an Australian drama recently screened on the ABC, supposedly a bit like Seachange, just not as good. Fortunately, the music demands less attention and can enhance your mood simply by rolling along in the background. Think, cafés on the way to snow. And it’s a good dinner party addition if you want to comfort guests with some ‘easy listening’ when the nearest alternative is that scratched old Jack Johnston CD. Melbourne based multi-instrumentalist J. Walker of Machine Translations was obviously commissioned by the makers of East of Everything to pen the soundtrack to the show. As such, Machine Translations feature eleven times across two discs, often with inspired, meandering instrumental pieces, such as the sitar flavoured ‘Court Room Scene’. Of their sung pieces, Eve’s Confusion is a haunting stand out.

But the compilation is not devoid of songs you would recognise; you have probably heard Lior’s This Old Love at a wedding last year. Under the Milky Way by The Church is the lonely classic, Jen Cloher’s Better Off Dancing is a Triple J favourite and Art of Fighting’s Reasons are all I have left is familiar. But maybe that’s because all their songs sound a bit the same. The pleasure of this compilation is hearing new songs that politely draw your attention away from whatever wholesome activity you would be doing. G Wayne Thomas’s Morning of the Earth is symphonic and celestial. Mia Dyson’s raspy and soulful Choose may provide the perfect moment to stop talking rubbish and make the next move on a special someone. Whereas Sarah Tindley’s Heart It Was A Desert could help out, if it doesn’t go too well. In all, there are 36 tunes to choose from. But like the salted prunes at the bottom of the hamper, there’s one track likely to leave an unsavoury taste. Fresh Meat by Jackie Marshall is an awful song strung together by a series of non-sexual, semi distressed moans. No lyrics, just moans. But don’t let it spoil the bunch; be pleased if you un-wrap the soundtrack to East of Everything next birthday.