Joe Ransom - Snow From Different Cities (Album)
Invoking nostalgia for this reviewer of seminal Aussie acts like Screamfeeder, Header and Ammonia, Victoria’s Joe Ransom brings to recollection the heady Grosvenor backroom days at all ages gigs, circa 1995. Countless young guys and gals clambering towards the stage to claim that elusive guitar pick from some long haired guitarist dude, their faces adorned with sheer admiration. There was always a sense of fun and frivolity in the air and Ransom captures this essence on his debut solo offering.
A versatile effort, 'Snow From Different Cities' comprises of two halves: with a feel-good outlook in the first. Until The Good Ship, a brooding and moody track with low end acoustic drive, beginning the journey into a decidedly darker sonic path for the next half. Ransom plays a host of instruments on the record and utilizes interesting locations for several samples, including the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki, as well as Flinders Beach and Flinders Street in his native state.
He spins tales not dissimilar to fellow Aussie indie kids Darren Hanlon & Tim Rogers. Looking back at his past with a critical lyrical eye, he not only ponders lost love, but an affliction with hairy beasts on opener Closer/Further, as he exclaims “I can’t sleep tonight, when there’s a werewolf hunting me down”.
An independent, self financed and self managed artist, this is a man you’ll no doubt hear more from in the future. Alongside stunning wineries and exquisite golf courses, you can now add Joe Ransom to the Mornington Peninsula’s must see attractions.
