Album Review: Phantastic Ferniture - Phantastic Ferniture

Phantastic Ferniture may be an unfamiliar name (and spelling) to the nation's ears, but singer Julia Jacklin is well-known to Sydney's folk-rock scene.

Her intentions with this collective (currently operating as a three-piece) may well have been to explore a happier pop vibe but this long-gestating album sees her delivering a harder-edged brand that doesn't quite ignite the indie dancefloor after all. It's kinda dreamy, kinda damaged and rather melancholic, much like the vibrations that come from fingering through your parents' record collection circa their 'wearing black' period. There's some '60s lo-fi twang in Uncomfortable Teenager, and Mumma Y Papa's swathing guitars gaze just a couple of inches away from Ride's shoes. Take It Off has a lolloping, dark sensuality but best of all is Fuckin 'N' Rollin, which, despite its provocative title, is quite a beautiful hallelujah to youthful freewheeling.

The question is whether Jacklin enjoys the different energy of Phantastic Ferniture's short but comfy debut enough to want to furnish us with more.