Big Grief

Last updated

Big Grief
Waax - Big Grief.jpg
Studio album by
Waax
Released23 August 2019
Genre Alternative rock, punk rock
Length41:05
Label Dew Process
Producer
Waax chronology
Wild & Weak
(2017)		Big Grief
(2019)
Singles from Big Grief
  1. "Labrador"
    Released: 27 April 2018
  2. "FU"
    Released: 27 February 2019
  3. "I Am"
    Released: 14 May 2019

Big Grief is the upcoming debut studio album by Australian rock band Waax, expected to be released on 23 August 2019 by Dew Process. It was produced by former Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning and Nick DiDia. [1] The album marks lead guitarist Chris Antolak's last recording as a member of the band. [2]

Waax (band) Australian band

Waax are an Australian rock band from Brisbane, formed in 2013. The band consists of guitarists James Gatling and Ewan Birtwell, drummer Tom Bloomfield, bassist Tom Griffin, and vocalist Marie DeVita. Waax has released two independent EPs: Holy Sick (2015) and Wild & Weak (2017); their debut album Big Grief is expected to release in August 2019. They also won the Triple J Unearthed Bigsound competition in 2014. Their single "Labrador" won the No. 1 spot on the independent Brisbane radio station 4ZZZ's Top 100 in 2018. In 2019, the single was voted into Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2018 at No. 88.

Dew Process Australian record label

Dew Process is an Australian record label, based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, founded and owned by Australian music industry figure, Paul Piticco.

Powderfinger Australian rock band

Powderfinger were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their break-up in 2010 the line-up consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bass guitarist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill. The group's third studio album Internationalist peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in September 1998. They followed with four more number-one studio albums in a row: Odyssey Number Five, Vulture Street, Dream Days at the Hotel Existence, and Golden Rule. Their Top Ten hit singles are "My Happiness" (2000), "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" (2003), and "Lost and Running" (2007). Powderfinger earned a total of eighteen ARIA Awards, making them the second-most awarded band behind Silverchair. Ten Powderfinger albums and DVDs certified multiple-platinum, with Odyssey Number Five – their most successful album – achieving eightfold platinum certification for shipment of over 560,000 units.

Contents

Background and promotion

The album artwork was created by Cristina Daura. [3] Describing the album, frontwoman Maz DeVita said:

"The whole album is about grief for so many things that I felt when we were writing the record and still do now. The way the world is so volatile at the moment, our environment, I talk about anxiety, mania, cutting ties with old friends and habits, my problems in the past with body image, and it's almost like a big mourning for all that. It's definitely an outpouring of grief in every sense of the word. But as much as I explored darker themes for Big Grief, I framed my melodies and vocal very colourfully and lively." [1]

Shortly after the band signed to Dew Process they released their first single "Labrador" on 27 April 2018. [4] The music video was released on 8 June. [5]

On 24 February 2019, the band posted the date "27.02.2019" to their social media accounts, hinting at a new single release. [6] [7] The second single, "FU", was premiered on Triple J's Good Nights segment, and was then made commercially available a day later. [8] [9] On 9 April, a music video for "FU" was released. [10]

Triple J Australian radio station

Triple J is an Australian government-funded radio station. A subdivision of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, it primarily appeals to young listeners. The station specialises in alternative rock and indie pop music, with a greater emphasis on broadcasting Australian content compared to other commercial stations. Triple J has two sister stations: Triple J Unearthed is an emerging music discovery station, whilst Double J caters to older audiences.

On 14 May, Waax released their third single "I Am". On the same day they also announced an national tour for August, after their USA and Canadian tour. [11] On 18 June, the music video for "I Am" was released. [12]

Writing and composition

The single "Labrador" as being about the Gold Coast suburb Labrador which frontwoman Maz DeVita described as a place where a significant relationship ended in her life. [13] Speaking about the single "FU", DeVita said: "This song is about a situation with someone in your life who is taking advantage of you and finally having to acknowledge reality and stand up to them. I hope it’s as cathartic for the listener as it was to write." [14] DeVita explained the single "I Am" as being "about wanting to please someone so much that you forget who you are in the process." [11]

Gold Coast, Queensland City in Queensland, Australia

The Gold Coast is a coastal city in the Australian state of Queensland, approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the state capital Brisbane and immediately north of the border with New South Wales. With a census-estimated 2016 population of 569,997, the Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia, making it the largest non-capital city, and Queensland's second-largest city.

Labrador, Queensland Suburb of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Labrador is a coastal suburb located on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Labrador had a population of 15,391, and grew to 16,402 at the 2011 Census. The suburb overlooks the Gold Coast Broadwater to the east and Southport on the southern border.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Depth8/10 [15]
Hysteria9/10 [2]
The MusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Wall of Sound8/10 [17]

The album received positive reviews. Jack Walsh from Depth magazine praised it saying the album's good points were: "Empowering words through hard themes. Nice runtime. Incredible production. Vocal skills are untouchable." However criticised the bad points as: "At times it feels more like a collection of singles than a cohesive and continuous vibe." [15] In a positive review from Wall of Sound, Rory McDonald said: "Big Grief is gold from front to back. [...] the band has stayed true to their authentic brand of punk and they have served it up nicely." [17] In a 9-out-of-10 review, Hysteria praised DeVita's emotional vocal delivery of the lyrics. [2] The Music, in a positive reviews states that: "WAAX have redefined what it means to be punk in the 21st century. This is an album that makes a point, one that sits on the top end of the anguish scale without sacrificing the band's melodic ingenuity." [16]

Track listing

Track listing adapted from Apple Music. [18]

All tracks written by Maz DeVita and Chris Antolak.

No.TitleLength
1."Big Grief"2:43
2."Labrador"3:41
3."No Apology"3:51
4."FU"3:47
5."History"3:50
6."Changing Face"3:38
7."Fade"3:39
8."Little Things"3:36
9."I Am"3:26
10."Why"2:15
11."Last Week"2:27
12."I.D.K.W.I.F.L"4:12
Total length:41:05

Personnel

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References

  1. 1 2 Issa, Chanel (25 June 2019). "WAAX // Announce Debut Album 'Big Grief'". Hysteria Mag. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Morawitz, Owen (19 August 2019). "WAAX // Big Grief". Hysteria Magazine. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  3. ↑ "WAAX - well, this is emotional: we finally have the..." Facebook. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  4. ↑ "Labrador by WAAX". Apple Music. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  5. ↑ WAAX (8 June 2018). "WAAX - Labrador" . Retrieved 16 July 2019– via YouTube.
  6. ↑ "WAAX - 27.02.2019". Facebook. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "WAAX - 27.02.2019". Twitter. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  8. ↑ "WAAX - Tune in to @triplej Good Nights w/ @BHustwaite tonight from 6pm to hear our new single 'FU'". Twitter. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  9. ↑ Brown, Paul (26 February 2019). "WAAX finally debut that 'FU' song they've been playing at shows recently". Wall Of Sound. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  10. ↑ WAAX (9 April 2019). "WAAX - FU" . Retrieved 27 June 2019– via YouTube.
  11. 1 2 Langford, Jackson (15 May 2019). "WAAX Drop New Single 'I Am', Announce 2019 National Tour". Music Feeds. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  12. ↑ WAAX (18 June 2019). "WAAX - I Am" . Retrieved 27 June 2019– via YouTube.
  13. ↑ Sievers, Alex (5 May 2018). "WAAX Deliver A Candid & Emotional Past On 'Labrador'". KillYourStereo. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  14. ↑ Issa, Chanel (27 February 2019). "WAAX // Return With Powerful New Single 'FU'". Hysteria Mag. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  15. 1 2 Walsh, Jack (19 August 2019). "WAAX – Big Grief (Review)". Depth Magazine. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  16. 1 2 Rose, Anna (21 August 2019). "WAAX / Big Grief". The Music. Handshake Media. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  17. 1 2 McDonald, Rory (19 August 2019). "WAAX – Big Grief (Album Review)". Wall of Sound. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  18. ↑ "Big Grief by WAAX". Apple Music. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
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