Lake South

If You’re Born On An Island The Ocean Heals You (Home Alone)

Already well-recognised for his work with the now defunct Urbantramper and the very much alive Wellington Sea Shanty Society, Lake South’s debut solo album If You’re Born On An Island The Ocean Heals You is everything we have come to expect from the Silver Scroll nominee and Critics Choice Finalist. The biggest surprise comes on the opening track Warmth/The Akaroa Road, where South uses a vocoder to give his voice an eerie ‘‘warmth’’ before bursting into a natural vocal about the power of nature to heal broken hearts while riding along a wave of synthesisers that are reminiscent of ex-Tangerine Dream’s Christopher Franke. Highlights include Renters, a politic and personal song about the cost of renting, Binge Drinking & DH Lawrence, featuring Nadia Read, is self-explanatory and the slightly melancholic Good Keen Man. South is in France and on his way to Canada. Better be home soon. – Mike Alexander