After the lackadaisical and disappointing Uninvited, Like the Clouds (2006), it was uncertain as to the future of Australian psychedelic group, The Church. The band has reemerged with not only a new album, but with two E.Ps as well, all of which are on their own recently founded record label, Unorthodox Records. The great news is that Untitled #23 is a refreshing return to form after a bit of a slump in their career with the previous studio effort. The new disc reveals that the band still has the ability to craft exceptional music even despite the occasional misstep.

One of the most striking and auspicious aspects of this release is that Steve Kilbey handles all of the lead vocals. With most of The Church’s recent releases, the band’s two guitarists were each granted lead vocal duties on a track and the songs, in addition to their voices, always paled next to Kilbey’s. This alone makes Untitled #23 much more consistent. Aside from that, it contains ten slow to mid-tempo songs that blend together well. In this respect, the record has a similar feel to their 2001 album, After Everything, Now This.

more...