Across generations

I got a book for Christmas about how all the Beatles' songs were written so the songwriting process and its outcome is of interest at present and thus it was particularly interesting to see and hear Aelus at Smiths.  Aelus is a duo comprising two songwriters.  We were chatting and they talked of writing separately and then together.  Now that was also an essential issue for Lennon-McCartney so they are in good company.  But more than L-McC, they write intimate music and play it softly and with gentle but expressive guitars and soft voices and lovely harmonies.  The Beatles wrote more indirectly and did harmonies but not soft.  It struck me how music is so generational.  At their age, I was listening to Deep Purple; this is much more the folk basements of the '60s: quiet, meditative, personal.  It's open-heart music and the wonderfully close phrasing just confirmed their closeness as a musical pairing.  I didn't catch every word, but we can:  Ebony has an album online; Solomon has several singles and an album coming; the duo has an EP upcoming.   So in some ways this was an eye-opener for this jazz-attendee.  This was personal, open, direct, speaking of family and friends and concerns and breaks and losses.  To end, Solomon played what he said was their angstiest song but this was not punk even if the themes may have been closer.  I'd like to have heard the edgy version he talked of.  Whatever, this was hugely satisfying, very intimate, like visiting someone's den, and especially given a sadly small attendance during our perennial January Canberra to the Coast and Covid.  Lovely and personal.  I can only thank Ebony and Solomon.

Aelus are Ebony Claire (guitar, vocals) and Solomon Steele (guitar, vocals) playing original songs by one or other or both.  Ebony has an album under her name on Spotify etc; Solomon has several singles online under the name Lilas.