Album Review: Lachlan Denton & Studio Magic – A Brother

There are millions of songs about love and loss – probably more. Each of them is a raid on the inarticulate, seeking to express a feeling that ultimately seems inexpressible. Some of them offer successful approximations; some of them are forgettable. Rarely are they as heartfelt and direct as the songs on Lachlan Denton’s latest album, A Brother.

Like the other members of The Ocean Party, the Melbourne-based musician has always been a reflective songwriter. However, the loss of a loved one is enough to render anyone speechless, and the sudden and tragic passing of Denton’s brother and bandmate, Zac Denton, last year is an experience of grief that seems incomprehensible. 

Denton doesn’t burden himself with understanding though. “The future we can’t know,” he sings with impossible grace on Take It As It Comes, “and time we cannot fight.” Instead, his response is to love and remember. Each song on A Brother is addressed to Zac, and the final song is a cover of one Zac’s own solo songs from his Hobby Farm project. “I carry your songs,” Denton sings on the title track. “Your blood runs through me.”