(MGM)

Not quite the genteel chamber music you might expect

Though classical motifs in one form or another have regularly made their way into popular music of all kinds over the years, it’s rare for something as seemingly refined as a string quartet to immerse itself in pop’s, shall we say, less dignified stance. Okay, The Kronos Quartet have made a rarefied art of it at times, and Melbourne’s True Live use live strings to inform their brand of hip hop. There are other examples, but Sydney’s FourPlay are something else, a classically-trained ensemble aiming for a true crossover fusion with electrification and effects pedals, staying elegant but locking that into a more familiar feel. Recorded live in Canberra, this release (a pun on the fact that this is their fourth album), assembles an intriguing mix of originals and covers, relying mostly on these musicians’ obvious instrumental prowess but also capable of providing vocals when required. Like Kronos, they’re partial to a bit of Hendrix, cutting loose here on a gritty Spanish Castle Magic. But how about Leonard Cohen’s Famous Blue Raincoat, The Cocteau Twins’ Seekers Who Are Lovers, Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name, Billie Holiday’s Lover Man and more? There’s even room for some subtle humour in original pieces like Rudd-A-Dub Dub and Where The Sun Don’t Shine. It all sounds very odd, but FourPlay are clearly accomplished musicians and it pays off for them here.   

*** ˝

BILL HOLDSWORTH

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