Apple of Life - Dom Mariani (Alive Naturalsound)
From the tumbling drums and Spector-lite touches of opener “Breakaway” to the keening country pop of single “Jangleland”, this album is classic Dom Mariani.
In a long career spanning The Stems, Majestic Kelp, the Someloves, Datura 4 and DM3, the man has never stumbled. “Apple of Life” adds another sparkling gem to the back catalogue.
Mariani’s travels have taken myriad twists and turns but strong songwriting has always been the axis on which his journey turns. So it is with “Apple of Life”, which mines the usual seams of powerpop and rock but this time adding strong country touches. Glimpses of ‘70s pop and New Wave peek through and gives the record its own distinctive edge.
Three-and-a-half-years in the making, “Apple of Life” involved a trusted crew of Tony Italiano (DM3, Someloves), bassist Joe Grech, Kill Devil Hills pedal steel player Luke Dux and drummer Sal De Sade (End of Fashion). It was recorded in Perth.
The 11 songs on “Apple of Life” recalls all of Dom’s previous bands and then some. If your entry point was the souped up boogie-psych of the prodigious Datura4, you might initially struggle, but there are songs (most notably the surging “Just Can’t Wait”) that could have been retrofitted to suit.
It's always about the songs and the way the melodies are arranged with Dom Mariani and the tags attached to them don’t much matter. “World On Its Head” is the most straight forward rocker. “Sad State of Affairs” is killer‘70s radio pop, a soulful work-out that features sitar. The synth-assisted “Breaking Point” sounds like The Cars (in a good way.)
If you’re a garage rock freak, don’t let the country references put you off. The album grows with every listen. “Oh Angeline” is a sweet and winsome ode that Gram Parsons could have recorded. Luke Dux’s pedal steel is all over “Take It All Back” and if the song ultimately doesn’t seem to go many places, it’s still an enjoyable meander.
It’s pointless to say that the playing is impeccable. De Sade and Grech lock into some wonderful grooves to lay down the rhythmic base. Mariani lays down some superb lead guitar, sparking off his old partner-in-music Italiano who’s a jack-of-all-trades in Perth musical circles.
This review almost wriote itself. Well-crafted and somewhat timeless, “Apple of Life” is one of the best albums of 2025. Modern touring economics might mitigate against it being taken on the road in Australia outside its home state of WA, but we live in hope. European shows loom (both band and solo) in April 2026.
And we made it to the end without one fruit pun.
