LIVE REIVEW - THE SEABELLIES; THE FALLS @ Selena's, Coogee Bay Hotel Thursday 13 Sept 2007
It's a sad indictment on Sydney's live scene that local band The Falls are still relative unknowns in their hometown. Their beautifully arranged and accomplished tunes are addictively listenable slices of soft rock that, given the chance, could attract a large and diverse audience. Instantly infectious numbers such as 'Just Remember' and 'Who You Know' are rarities in that they display musicality and intelligence yet also sound custom-made for mainstream radio (or at least Triple J). Comparisons with Fleetwood Mac are inevitable, but in an era where Bernard Fanning's over-rated 'Tea & Sympathy' can hit multi-platinum status The Falls can't be accused of being out-dated. Indeed, much of their material verges on alt-country, and with Melinda's country-flavoured voice the band could find success on American country rock radio. Their ditties also seem suitable for inclusion on the ever-popular Chillout compilations, but perhaps that association undermines the depth of their songwriting. Critics of the band could argue that their live performance is somewhat contrived, and while it would be refreshing to see them cut loose and rock out on stage, when they are this accomplished, who really cares?
Dane Hodges - www.myspace.com/moonunitunderground


Michael Smith, Drum Media 5/12/06


Wentworth Courier August 07

LIVE REVIEW: Circle + The Falls @ The Sandringham Hotel 29/11/2007

…….By contrast, the folk rock sounds of support band The Falls filled the space beautifully; their intoxicating melodies and gorgeous harmonies made them a pleasure to watch. It's tempting to compare them to Damien Rice, but their sound owes more to the honesty and musicianship of folk-rock heroes Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Lead singer/songwriters Melinda Kirwin and Simon Rudston-Brown are a dynamic duo on-stage, and are backed by a tightly-rehearsed set of musicians, all of whom are at ease on stage and are clearly enjoying their craft. As a songwriting duo, Kirwin and Rudston-Brown's strength lies in their ability to convey raw emotion and wisdom in their lyrics and in their melodies. Translating that emotion and wisdom on-stage is no problem for them, either.
Dane Hodges (www.myspace.com/moonunitunderground)

"Anyone who saw their recent CD launch would realise The Falls write and perform some of the most beautiful pop songs you will ever hear....anywhere. This is definitely one of my gig picks of the year."
Felix Kulakowski (FOH, The Vanguard)

"Since I have been running Songwriters Live in three venues in NSW, I have seen over 400 artists perform. Of those I only choose the best to return. The Falls have become one of our popular regulars as they have fantastic songs and pure emotive voices which are complimented with beautiful guitar playing. They are definitely a class act."
Keith Armitage (Director, Songwriters Live)

"I wasn't sure what to expect when I first listened to The Falls CD because they were so humble about their talents. But no matter what my expectations I was very impressed. I heard a gorgeous languorous voice and the kind of well-crafted pop songs that sound like classics on first listen - beautiful stuff."
Amanda Easton (Host of 'AcousticA' 2SER 107.3fm)

"The Falls music contains all the elements I love about music - passion, strong melodic invention, warm chords, a sense of space and above all, it's created from the heart. Therefore it has the capacity to speak to the heart and inspire one to feel."
Edoardo Santoni (singer/songwriter)