Suffering Jukebox

This morning's episode features an interview with Martín Schellekens from Land Whales. Formed in Havana, Cuba and now based in The Netherlands Land Whales just released their latest album, How To Make Breakfast, via the Peruvian label, Buh Records. You can find out more about Land Whales (and purchase their music) here https://landwhales.bandcamp.com/music and https://buhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/how-to-make-a-breakfast

Nick's Pick of the Week is Carla Dal Forno's Confession, which was released on Friday April 24th. You can hear it in all the usual places, or purchase it here; https://carladalforno.bandcamp.com/album/confession and my review can be read below.

Carla Dal Forno: Confession (Kallista Records)

Released April 24th 2026

Recorded in a decommissioned hospital in the small town of Castlemaine, Victoria, Carla Dal Forno’s fourth album, Confession, turned in to a far more personal journey than the songwriter initially intended. Dal Forno has carved out a niche creating minimalist post-punk, first with groups such as F Ingers and Tarcar, then, since 2016, as a solo artist. Her earliest recordings were distributed by the legendary, though now sadly defunct, label Blackest Ever Black, whilst her more recent output, including Confession, have been released through Dal Forno’s own Kallista Records.

Dal Forno originally envisioned the songs on Confession to —lyrically at least— be far more abstract and obtuse, but as the compositions developed, the songs became, as the title implies, far more confessional. The tracks on Confession detail the complexities of a relationship that starts innocuously enough, before developing into something far more intense and excessive.

“You will belong to me soon / You will belong to me there’s no other way,” is just one of the many lines in Going Out, the album’s first single, that highlights the possessive and obsessive nature of the relationship in question. Like much of the album, Going Out is propelled by Dal Forno’s trademark propulsive bass lines and simple drum machine rhythms. Despite the lyrical content feeling heavier— musically, Confession, when compared with Dal Forno’s previous work, has a much lighter and brighter feel.

Comprising eleven songs, Confession features a mix of instrumental and lyrical tracks. The instrumental numbers, Drip Drop, On The Ward, Off The Beaten Track and Staying In function as a bridge between the lyrically driven songs, shuffling the listener along whilst adding to the ethereal feel of the album. Sonically, Confession draws inspiration from all manner of genres such as twee-pop, funk and dub, whereas the title-track bears an uncanny resemblance to the Italian exploitation soundtracks of the 1970s.

One of the album’s highlights is the cover of The Sunnyboys’ jangle-pop classic, Alone With You. Dal Forno’s take strips away all the ebullience of the original, imparting a distant, voyeuristic tone that borders on being uncomfortable. It’s a remarkable interpretation that completely flips the connotations of the song, adding a unique perspective and embedding it with a totally different meaning.

Confession is a classic “don’t judge a book by its cover” record, wherein the musical feel of the album is often at odds with the subject matter of the lyrics. Confession by title and confessional by nature, this is an album that explores the darker side of falling head over heels for someone, whilst managing to sound frivolous and carefree at the same time. It’s beauty and the beast all wrapped up in one and another excellent release from one of the more unique voices in Australian music.

Nick Stephan