Echoes of The Killers - only 8 years earlier. Pray TV are Aussie 1990's indie popsters & CMJ favourites who released a string of acclaimed albums throughout the 90's. Westona was produced by Andy Macpherson (Teenage Fan Club, Frank Black, The Who).

17 MP3 Songs
POP: New Wave, POP: Power Pop



Details:
Echoes of Psychedelic Furs and more recently The Killers Pray TV are Aussie 1990s indie popsters & CMJ favourites who released a string of acclaimed albums throughout the 90's. Westona was produced by Andy Macpherson (Teenage Fan Club, Frank Black, The Who).

"The whole album is quite brilliant - Australian music really doesnt get any better than this" - Rave Magazine 1997

"Westona could well be their best album. Powerful pop. So beautiful and true. Intelligent. And Ill throw in a Buffalo Tom comparison as well. Not a dud cut" - Inpress

'Westona is one of the best Australian records released in 1996 - and for all the right reasons too' ....Listen to such highlights as the driving opener Casino Royale, Solid Gold Hell, the Died-Pretty-like Don't Waste My Time and the Psychedelic Furs-inspired New York Romance Blues and you'll realize that it doesn't really matter what decade a band's musical references lie in: if it makes you want to sing along, if the tunes stick in your head for days, it must be good pop. One of the best Australian records released in 1996.' - DB Magazine

Another of Australia's hidden secrets, Pray TV have been around since the late 80s and have only a handful of lps and singles to show for it. But they've made the most of their opportunities; their recordings have been wonderful without exception, weaving dense and powerful trance-like guitar and occasional keyboards around Aidan Halloran's tired and dusky vocals. Most of their songs sound huge and forceful without going beyond mid-tempo; the key to their strength is careful songwriting and solid execution . Westona is no exception; there's not a song on here that doesn't find a solid foothold after a few spins. The tunes are almost all classic loser songs; losers at love, at bands, at work, at gambling...this band is on a perpetual downer lyrically, but they do a fine job of it. "Let It Go" is a great example...the singer talking to a past woman friend who years back chose to marry a banker ("I gave a glance, you gave a frozen shoulder") and now her looks are gone, and the baby is screaming, and "was there any other way"? But even if you aren't bottom feeding for a sad story put to music, Pray TV's skill at putting together songs with great dynamics will land you quick as a trout straight out of the hatchery. Almost without exception, these tunes build from restrained verses to huge anthemic choruses with walls of Husker Du styled guitar or keyboard flourishes and then ebb back down again for the next verse.
- NOISE FOR HEROES MAGAZINE