You just love seeing artists make massive leaps forward from one album to the next. Here on her second album Stop and Smell the Lightning, Annie Hamilton has done just that. An album filled with vast arrays of whirling sounds and samples, both human and not, Stop and Smell the Lightning is hard to describe, and yet it sounds just like what you’d expect the multi-talented Hamilton to be capable of creating.
A couple years on from her debut the future is here but it kind of feels like the past, the Eora/Sydney artist has branched out on this new release and managed to piece together twelve tracks that fit seamlessly together and yet feel distinct and unique in isolation. Opening track “On Your Mind” is a slow builder that canters in its first half, before a near hip-hop beat takes over from the midpoint. Co-produced with Jake Webb of Methyl Ethel fame, the track leans into Hamilton’s fascination with bats, with bat calls featured throughout. It’s mesmerising and hypnotic from front to back and a perfect start for the LP.
Next up is “Dynamite”, another single from the album’s pre-release schedule. Delivered with an almost wonky vibe, its multiple layers come together over the closing minute as Annie’s vocals lead the way, and sets the tone for what will likely be a stand out on her upcoming national tour. An early highlight, it’s pretty obvious why this was chosen as one of the first tastes of the album the world got to hear.
“Without You”, a song about moving on and knowing you’re already better off for it, is fun and cheeky from its opening notes, with a solid dance beat carrying the song through its three-minute run. “Streetlights” feels like it could be the offspring of Methel Ethel, D.D Dumbo or Genesis Owusu as you begin to really taste what Hamilton is trying to deliver here on the album. It’s a glimpse into a bigger picture that doesn’t shatter the illusion of what the front half of the album has already delivered.
The album’s best two track run is the back-to-back “Crush Song” and “Slut Era”. At little more than a minute in length, “Crush Song” immediately sounds like it could be the 2024 version of Spiderbait’s “Calypso”, all the while leaning into Hamilton’s dive into a more open opinion on the pressures and standards women in music are expected to have in what is honestly an incredibly misogynistic industry. Following “Crush Song” up with “Slut Era” is honestly the best thing I’ve seen on an album this year. “Slut Era” is Hamilton’s feminine rage pop moment on Stop and Smell the Lightning, and honestly, I’m all for it. This is the late-night-dancefloor track this year has been missing. 10/10, no notes.
Receiving single status, “Talk” is a woozy and hypnotic yet calming four minutes. Once more the layering and harmonies lead from the front and deliver one of the strongest moments on the album. The closing quarter of the LP changes the vibe of the release somewhat, as it takes in a more traditional Annie Hamilton sound, with “From the Hotel Pool I Draw A Line”, “Seven Storeys Up”, and “Jackhammers” generally leaning into a more stripped back solemn and mystic tone. There’s levels of subtleties throughout each track that will lend well to a level setting, whether at the start or end of a show.
Annie Hamilton has for a long time been someone the Australian music scene should be taking notice of. Through a trickle of EPs and now two albums, she has proven to not be a flash in the pan. If Stop and Smell the Lightning doesn’t make the masses take notice, I don’t know what will. It delivers on all fronts and feels very much like it could be a contender for end-of-year accolades.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Stop and Smell the Lightning is out now – grab a copy HERE
Annie Hamilton tours the album over the coming weeks on the following dates:
Friday 1 November – Towradji Beach Hotel, Wollongong
Friday 8 November – The Retreat, Melbourne
Saturday 9 November – Bearded Lady, Brisbane
Sunday 10 November – Undertone Festival, Gold Coast
Saturday 16 November – Mojos, Fremantle
Friday 13 December – The Lansdowne, Sydney
To purchase tickets, head HERE.
