Australian multi-instrumentalist and award winning singer-songwriter, Tash Sultana recently released the single “Greed” from their upcoming unnamed album. Sultana is best known for their single “Jungle”, which took third place in Australia’s Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2016. Mxdwn covered Sultana’s performance last year at the Ohana Festival stating that they “blew fans away with their insane talent and magnetic energy.” According to a press release “Tash has mastered over 12 instruments, has a vocal that shines with a magical quality and a live show that needs to be seen to be believed.”
Their latest release, “Greed”, is about “how people change around you when you achieve some sort of success. People you’ve never had anything to do with try and climb into your life somehow, people you’ve known for ages suddenly go silent. People who never paid you for a gig suddenly want to book you. That person from high school that gave you s— for playing the guitar suddenly wants on the guest list. It’s a funny little thing all of this and what it does to people.” Sultana explains.
The song is very catchy. The intro begins with a crisp and clean jazzy guitar being played through what sounds like the Roland Jazz Chorus amplifier. The bass line is clean, punchy and jazzy. The drum centers on evenly timed rim shots. Finally, the intro closes out with what appears to be a short Rhodes piano fill leading up to the first verse.
The verse is made up of very catchy and unique R&B/indie vocals almost sounding a little rap like.
The vocals become distinctly smooth in the pre-chorus continuing with an R&B feel with a touch of smooth jazz, but definitely unique in style. The vocals sound like they have transitioned into half-time providing a release from the tension built up during the verse.
The chorus appears to be the hook. The vocals are moving. In the background, the Rhodes piano and guitar take turns playing riffs almost in imitation form with slight variances. The chorus lyrics are: They only give a s— when you make it big / Frame my memory when I’m dead and gone / Turn their back when you make a hit / But if you love me then you’ll hold it down. The end of the chorus is padded with the same riffs and tone colors played in the intro.
After the chorus, the song goes back into a verse, pre-chorus, chorus and outro. The pre-chorus sounds exceptionally nice the second time. It doesn’t mirror the first pre-chorus and is a very close second to being the song’s hook.
The outro sounds a lot like the intro ending with one quick clean strum of the guitar.
“Greed” is the second release, after “Pretty Lady,” expected to be released on Sultana’s upcoming album due later this year on the Mom + Pop Music label.
photo credit: Stephen Hoffmeister
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