New Music Review #26: ‘Are You Having Fun?’ by Sarah Levins

Deborah Conway is one of the most enigmatic and charismatic stars in the history of Australian pop music. Her voice is powerful and elegant, but her vocal performances are unpredictable and fabulously unique. Her songwriting is scathing and genius in its pointed poetry. On tracks like ‘Man Overboard’ and ‘Alive and Brilliant’, she takes pop music and twists it into something chaotic and perfect.

She is inimitable.

And yet… Deborah Conway was the first and only comparison I could come up with when I first heard ‘Are We Having Fun?’ by Sarah Levins.

Ok, so there are other comps: Julia Jacklin, Laura Marling, Maggie Rogers, Angie McMahon. All fair, and certainly nothing to sneer at.

But really, ‘Are We Having Fun?’ is a singular achievement. It’s unlike almost anything I’ve ever heard before. It’s intense, and whimsical, and massively dramatic (in the best way). It’s like if the Mad Hatter were played by Kate Bush in an indie-pop production of Alice In Wonderland.   

The arrangement is phenomenal in its twisted wizardry – it will keep you guessing for the entire song. Folksy guitar quickly gives way to a labyrinth of instrumentation, as Levins’ voice contorts and soars over plucked strings, blaring horns and sudden stops.

This is not predictable or comforting folk music.  It wrings out every last drop of emotion and surprise, and then pours it over you in a resplendently theatrical shower.

And a few others:

‘Slow Down' by Jem Cassar-Daley: The breakout of Jem Cassar-Daley this year has been nothing short of a delight. Her voice is endlessly endearing, like a conversation with your most interesting and least condescending friend. Rich guitars, warm melodies and a beautiful message make ‘Slow Down’ a must-listen.   

‘I’m So’ by The Tullamarines:  This blazing indie-pop-rock banger is ridiculously fun. It’s a high-tempo, big-energy cacophony, with the band’s multiple unique voices combining to create something that feels both fresh and rich in early 2000s nostalgia.

‘Easy Way Out’ by Glenn Hopper: This song caught me so off guard. It’s certainly not a song you’d expect to come out in 2023, but it is unexpectedly and undoubtedly gorgeous – like, it legitimately might make you cry. Smooth vocals, twinkling piano, glorious arrangement and stirring lyrics. Ben Folds is probably the best comp, but you just need to hear it for yourself.