Albums

Rietta - Cut Me Loose

Thomas 12/01/2008

Rating: 1/5

Rietta IS music, apparently. A bold statement, but then she is “one of Australasia's leading vocalists”. And would you believe it, said statement came from someone called Kirk who is/was in tragedy-struck, leading Australasian rock group INXS (note to bands: if your singer dies, just stop, ok?). So there must be some outstanding shit going down here, like Wagner, QOTSA and Prince jamming with angels on the golden steps of heaven's own Lizard Lounge. Right?

You're smart enough to know where this is heading. By track five, it's easy to forget that this thoroughly unremarkable, housewife-friendly placebo of a record is even playing. Still here? Well, the undoubtedly lovely Rietta Austin has been playing hotels for the last six years, according to her bio, (STILL here?) and has roped in some session musos to rock out with their amplifiers turned considerably down while backing up her soulful musings on such current issues as 'Madness', 'Falling' and 'Why?'. Rietta's voice defies conventional description, but it is rather like how Anastasia would sound after a stroke, or chewing a substantial toffee. By track nine, the deferential newsreaders' anthem 'Back To You', she's started to resemble Vic Reeves' memorable Club Singer from TV's Shooting Stars. The album's rousing, defiant closing track is called 'River of Tears'. It seems apt.