Julian Nation – We Are All Writers (Book Club Records 2006)
Indie Pages
I had heard this without knowing who it was, I would've guessed that this was a Swedish fellow, as this album has all of the basic qualities of a Swedish bedroom pop record: short, simple and catchy pop songs with a lo-fi aesthetic. In fact, with Julian's earnest and sometimes poignant lyrics (and occasional crooning-style of singing), you'd think that these were recordings Jens Lekman might've made when he was a youth. However, Julian is actually from Melbourne, although he does show an affinity for Sweden with "Lost Swedish Penpals". Almost every one of these brief tunes (only a couple last longer than a couple minutes, with the whole album barely 19 minutes long) is an endearing treat, with favorites including "1992", "All The Capital Cities' Names" and the opening "Press Gang Kids". A few of the songs are a little unpolished (missed note here, off-tempo beat there), but it doesn't get in the way of the enjoyment of the song, and that just comes with the territory of bedroom pop anyways... MTQ=9/10
Time Off 'zine
Some of the best things in life are short; coffee for starters, but also films (Before Sunset anyone? What about Run Lola Run?), so there's something beautiful about an LP that lasts only 18 minutes (which is exactly how long We Are All Writers lasts). Each morsel of poptastic goodness contained within this album barely hits two minutes, but this is definitely a case of quality over quantity. If you can imagine The Lucksmiths organising a ping-pong match between Jens Lekman and Stuart Murdoch, then you're somewhere in the vicinity of Julian Nation.
The personal highlight is 'Lost Swedish Penpals' with its bright piano motif lifted straight from a Michel Gondry film, while Nation sings of nostalgia for a friend from the other side of the world. A master of simple, yet evocative lyrics, lines such as "Wearing your last boyfriend's T-shirt, he still had his heart on the sleeves" are innocent enough to make any songwriter jealous, while other times references to books, bands and games add charm.
Think of your favourite pastime in the world, and this is it, in recorded form.
(Daniel Crichton-Rouse)
Sydney Morning Herald, September 30 2006
Ten songs in 18 minutes by an improbably named 19-year-old who declares he's not interested in writing choruses or solos? Sounds like it's going to be a quick burst of thrashy punk or the like, doesn't it?
Far from it. Julian Nation has drunk deeply from the same pop well as Swede Jens Lekman, Sydney's Darren Hanlon and Glasgow's Stuart Murdoch. The result is a collection full of naive charm accompanied by arrestingly catchy tunes, where glockenspiel, guitar and a cheap keyboard give yeoman's service. One minute Nation sounds like your precocious teenage brother, the next like a grown man who knows all the works of Bacharach and David.
It is true that, for the moment, each of Nation's songs can be categorised as either a Lekman, Murdoch or Hanlon derivative, as he happily wears his influences on his sleeve, chest, back and, probably, forehead. It is also true that these are absolutely appealing songs for both the bedsit and the sunny park bench.
(Bernard Zuel)
02/02/07 Pitchfork New Music: Julian Nation: "Lost Swedish
Penpals" [MP3]
Melbourne's Julian Nation keeps his indie-pop simple, completely forgoing anything extravagant like solos, bridges, and, um, choruses. Clocking in at less than a minute and a half, "Lost Swedish Penpals" (from his 18-minute debut We Are All Writers) describes a short-lived postal relationship through acoustic guitars, beginner's piano, glockenspiel, and Nation's unspeakably fragile bedroom quaver.
Here, Nation borrows the kind of melancholy wordplay perfected by his eternally underrated countrymen the Lucksmiths: "Well, we both had our weaknesses/ Mine was broken promises and yours was broken English." Dude, Jens Lekman speaks English just fine, but he thought you said "Maple Leaves."
FRANKIE!
Obscure Sound, 16 October 2006
All the songs recorded on his debut, We Are All Writers, were done when Nation was 19 on a four-track recorder. The album is ten tracks long reaching eighteen minutes, with the longest being 2:18. Remember though, quality over quantity is something Nation emphasises as well.
Upon first listen, a comparison to the sparkling pop of The Lucksmiths is almost immediate. Ironically, Nation claims that the first time he started writing music was on the way home from a Lucksmiths show. Another loose comparison would be to the almighty Jens Lekman, as Nation's storytelling of fascinating characters in seemingly unreachable locations is in a similar tone.
Nation's fondness of Sweden is no secret, as Nation proclaims brilliantly on 'Lost Swedish Penpals: "For our three-page relationship, well, we both had our weaknesses: mine was broken promises, yours was broken English". The lo-fi sound that Nation expresses is touched by only a guitar, bass, glockenspiel, and a Casitone, with some occasional drums.
The imaginatively titled '÷' would be the best vocal comparison to Lekman, almost sounding exactly the same. The melodies on the album are really not complicated or striking at all, but Nation has the lyrical and vocal hooks that make the simplistic music worthwhile. "And this division leaves as the only remainder," Nation moans as he brilliantly compares a broken relationship to mathematics, "a reminder that these things only work on paper, so I wrote down both our names and tore them in two".
'Halloween River Cruise' is told from a personal perspective: "When I was sixteen, I first swore the promise that I wouldn't write songs for those I didn't like".
So, get on Julian Nation's good side, he might write a brilliant two minute song about you.
Rave 'zine
Ever noticed how there's that breed of four-tracked, home-recorded releases of the indie genre that tend towards being either a bit too smug or overwrought?
Well, We Are All Writers is a refreshing antidote and the exact antithesis of nauseatingly twee, cardiganed kids on anti-depressants. At times it even leans towards being slightly melancholic, unashamedly displaying gloomy British influences especially on All the Capital Cities' Names and Division.
Elsewhere, the album is kind of easy-listening, constantly self-effacing, slightly humorous, disarming and thoroughly charismatic. Making a complete, full-blooded pop album using only a guitar, glockenspiel, Casiotone and bass has never sounded so appealing or engaging – you will be charmed.
Off The Record
When I first heard Julian Nation, I thought this was actually some Belle And Sebastian or The Robot Ate Me song I've never heard before. Julian is from Melbourne, Australia and started making music at the age of 16 after seeing The Lucksmiths.
Using all he had, a guitar, a glockenspiel, a borrowed microphone, a Casiotone and a friend's bass guitar making songs of pure pop. By the time he was 19 he started recording using a four-track recorder he bought the day after seeing The Unicorns play at Trades Hall, the album was recorded in Julian's bedroom and the St.Marcs community centre in Fitzroy.
Creating a ten-song album titled We Are All Writers on Book Club Records. Julian writes songs but doesn't tell anybody...until now. Be sure to check it out.
One Chord
Julian Nation is a 19-year-old boy from Australia. He started writing songs after seeing The Lucksmiths at the age of 16 and now three years later he has released his debut album that contains some songs that would be great enough to be included on a Lucksmiths album. Okay, that might be a tiny exaggeration, because The Lucksmiths are one of the best bands in the world right now. But I just like this kid a lot.
We Are All Writers contains ten songs and lasts less than 19 minutes. So these are very short lo-fi bedroom pop songs. This doesn't matter at all, because Julian is able to find your heart in less than two minutes.
A good example is the title track. It's a really beautiful and fragile track that reminds me of Swedish maestros Airliner and Chasing Dorotea. Two magical minutes. Yeah, I admit that it might be that sad and fucked up side of me that treasures that beautiful moment, however you do not need to have that side to enjoy Julian Nation's debut album.
As a whole, the record is actually very uplifting and really adorable. It's hard not to smile while listening to this. Songs such as '1992', 'Halloween River Cruise' and 'Press Gang Kids' are just wonderful pop tunes that somehow reflects the spirit of songwriting heroes such as Stephin Merritt and Jens Lekman.
Surely there are three or four tunes that aren't anything that special, but We Are All Writers is still a very strong and enjoyable debut album. I'm really looking forward to more. (4/5)
3hive
Oh Snap! It's Valentine's Day and surely I will do one of two things today... Share some music for lovers? Select something discordant and raw for those who are candy-and-rose averse? Neither actually. Aussie Julian Nation has been playing music since he was a youngin and he's all about songs created in the short form -- the album is 18 minutes long! Melbourne Pop Haiku anyone? While there are elements of romanticism, wistfulness and charm to all of his songs, its all in an ambient way, not in a v-day emotional beat down way. Unfortunately, of late the word "twee" has come to take on some pejorative connotations, but this, folks, would not be without the Brits who came before. On a snowy morning in New York, Mr. Nation is all kinds of sending me back to being 19 and listening to Belle and Sebastian on road trips before the revolution. And you know what? No matter the backlash, I really liked that moment and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm glad that their influence made it all the way across equatorial divisions. So there.
2006 best of lists:
Obscure Sound - Indie Music Blog
41. Julian Nation - We Are All Writers
You must been asking yourself, "how the hell did an album only eighteen minutes long reach the top fifty?" Well, I emphasized this before, but I always consider quality over quantity. Julian Nation's debut We Are All Writers is ten different tracks, after all. With undeniable comparisons to Jens Lekman and The Lucksmiths, the Australian-based songwriter is barely out of his teens but is producing some of the most genuine and heartfelt pop music of the year. In 'Lost Swedish Penpals', he muses, "for our three-page relationship, well, we both had our weaknesses: mine was broken promises, yours was broken English". With nothing more than a guitar, bass, glockenspiel, a Casitone, and youth, Nation has crafted one of the most impressive debuts of the year.
Off The Record - Sandra's Picks 2006
04. Julian Nation - We Are All Writers
I do believe this lo-fi record had been one of my picks for the longest of time and well deserved it is to be on my list. Julian has come a long way of creating perfect simple pure pop tunes and this record is a sure achievement of that. His song writing is nostalgic, open, honest and sincere, quite like a life time scrapbook with personal entries and photographs.
Liz (who works at Polyester Records) Australian Picks of 2006
01. The Crayon Fields - Animal Bells< SPAN>
...
05. Julian Nation - We Are All Writers
Dave Regos from FBi Radio Best Of 2006
Julian Nation - We Are All Writers, Macromantics - Moments In Movement, CW Stoneking - King Hokum, The Grates - Gravity Won't Get You High, Dappled Cities Fly - Granddance