Columbia/Legacy Recordings

Australia’s Midnight Oil are one of the few truly important acts in Rock and Roll post 1979. This collection from Legacy Recordings is just as important, compiling 36 of the band’s best tunes from their 25 year career. Chosen by the band, Essential Oils includes selections from the band’s dozen albums, as well as their duo of EPs, and plays in chronological order. The order offers a unique perspective on the band to say the least.

Disc One contains all of the band’s pre-mega success material prior to their platinum Diesel and Dust album. This disc is a lot edgier than the later material, ringing out much like early U2 with a passion that most bands never have. The raw post-punk sound of songs like “Cold Cold Change,” “Back on the Borderline,” and “Only the Strong” are perfectly in tune with the closer to New Wave sound of songs like “When the Generals Talk,” the rally cry of “Kosciusko,” and the sailing “Hercules.” The haunting “Armistice Day” is the highlight of this disc though, with its almost bluesy lead guitar work and God-fearing rhythm work topped by the marching, pointed vocals of Garrett. I haven’t heard this song in years and it remains as powerful today than it was during the Reagan-era. Some things haven’t changed.

Disc Two contains the more familiar tunes, a number of them from the smash hit albums Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining. Both albums are considered the height of the band’s career commercially and one listen to “Beds Are Burning” or “King of the Mountain” or “Blue Sky Mining” or “Forgotten Years,” will reignite your fire to fight injustice. All three are soul-shaking tunes and when they appear alongside lesser known but just as powerful works of the aggressive “Redneck Wonderland” and the brilliant confusion of “White Skin Black Heart,” you find yourself truly longing for this band to reunite. There are no bands left in modern music that bite this hard, sound this intelligent, or play with this much heart.

I’m excited that Essential Oils is here because, unless you grew up in the eighties, it has become too easy to overlook the power of this band. The ferocity of post-punk, the grace of Peter Gabriel, and the sharp tongue of bands like The Alarm and U2 are but a few of the things that make Midnight Oil the stuff legends are made of.  If you are a fan of U2, The Alarm, Living Colour, Life of Agony, or other bands that dig deep beneath their commercial success and yearn to do something more powerful than become rockstars, then you must pick up Essential Oils. You’ll be glad you did. 

All Sons & Daughters

Live

Integrity Music

As worship leaders at the Journey Church in Franklin, TN, David Leonard (Needtobreathe) and Leslie Jordan see All Sons & Daughters as an extension of their church. They have recorded three EPs and a full length album prior to Live and have toured with artists such as Chris Tomlin and Kari Jobe. With hits like “All the Poor and Powerless” and “Reason to Sing,” the duo have been turning heads everywhere for the last few years.

Organic is certainly the key word here. Anyone looking for a bombastic, anthemic, worship album that explodes with energy will not find it here. It’s got its own brand of intensity and surrender for sure, but it’s not the big, inspirational sound (for the most part) that we often here in this genre. Everything on Live has a slow build that is intimate and reflective.

“All the Poor and Powerless” is the undeniable highlight here. The absolutely beautiful lyrics and perfect build just bring you into oneness with God. It’s a once in a lifetime moment that few artists get to have and the addition of the audience’s voices just moves it to even greater places. Overall all though, the band definitely make me think of Marc Byrd and Christine Glass’ work together. It’s sort of a dialed back version but it’s very poetic in nature, very intimate lyrically, while still being a congregational feeling effort.

That’s not to say there aren’t other wonderful moments as well, of course. Rita Springer-ish “Called Me Higher” has a victorious feel to it and I’m sure speaks greatly to those who are really struggling with things in their lives. It’s a reminder that no matter where you are, God has called you to be more and you can get to where he wants you to be. “Great Are You Lord” has a nice sort of swagger to it that has a bluesy, driving, sway to it that rises and falls throughout.

What All Sons & Daughters are musically best at is being dynamic. Their songs have an excellent ebb and flow to them. For me, they just never seem to get where they are going though. I always find myself wishing that they’d musically push a little more or go over the top. This live release reminds me a lot of the more straightforward Rita Springer songs. The live showcase here gives you a different perspective on the band though and in this setting they shine brighter than on their studio work. Having an audience involved just takes it to a totally different place.