![]() ![]() Open about personal battles with addiction at that time, Sultana suffered a drug-induced psychosis at the age of 17. They were busking on the streets of Melbourne by their mid-teens. Sultana first got a guitar as a preschooler and went on to learn brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments, among others, always eager to learn more. ![]() 2021's chart-topping Terra Firma was a more mature and thoughtful sophomore effort, with a relatively laid-back mood and a soulful feel, a sound they gave a vintage soft rock flavor on 2023's "James Dean." ![]() Their viral success led to international recognition and the release of their first album, Flow State, in 2018, which found them adding a strong R&B influence to their melodies. Sultana first found the spotlight in 2016 with live videos of one-person-band performances, playing multi-layered compositions informed by vintage hard rock and alternative rock. If there’s one thing Tash Sultana has conclusively proved in her fledgling career and in Notion, it’s that she knows how to make music that is creative, authentic and well-pitched for today’s ears.Tash Sultana is a genre-shifting Australian indie musician known for their passionate vocals and command of multiple instruments and looping pedals. Not that there’s any need to remind her of that. The modern audience is impatient, easily distracted and fickle. Understandably, there was a bit of unease around whether she can pick up where she left off. Halfway through a tour and with her maiden LP in recording, Sultana announced that she was taking a break to recover from laryngitis. As she settles down, her selectivity will improve and any traces of grab-bag medleys should turn into fully-fledged songs. Extended live jams entitled ‘The Big Smoke’ really do push into self-indulgence, with Sultana beatboxing, whipping out some funk, misjudging the build-and-release and otherwise just padding out the run time. It’s a Frankenstein, with Sultana pitching all her ideas together across these four songs. The result is a track that does everything right and all without feeling either showy or hard-fought.įor such a bold opening salvo, Notion is undoubtedly more potential than portent. Sultana the guitarist superbly welds a swinging rhythm to a U2-style cascading lead and Sultana the producer sprinkles just enough reverb on her vocals to create a yearning atmosphere. There is no better showcase for her potential than the luminous precision of ‘Jungle’. “I got myself into the sweetest disposition/Only because I followed my intuition,” croons Sultana. ‘Gemini’ takes the best of both as a catchy hand-clap loop pushes the endless synths along at a glacial pace. ‘Synergy’ is built around a steady yet dance-worthy bass line and a wordless, slo-mo chorus. Notion’s unflinching spiritual poses, and its tightrope balance of DIY composition and hi-tech production are all ripe for cynicism but Sultana makes it work. Which is lucky, because both she and her debut EP really could have come across as a blissfully aware, all-too-perfect parody of Melbourne millennials. On her debut EP Notion, Sultana combines sweeping guitar arpeggios, sustained synth-beds and tingling electric drum loops to make music that is often evocative and exciting. What’s refreshing is how much the 21-year old lets her talent as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer speak for itself: potential sympathy-point sob stories about her previous drug-addiction and homosexuality have been pushed into the background. Over the last 18 months, the Melbourne-born lass has skyrocketed from her word-of-mouth social media circuit to become the biggest thing out of her city since deconstructed coffee. Tash Sultana is both the archetype modern day pop success story and a throwback to a more retro era for the solo musician. ![]()
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