Although live performances are never able to replicate the polish of a quality studio product, Ali C and the band constructed especially for this performance, The Defibrillators, came close and the grateful audience went home with their musical appetite fully satisfied.

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Bottom line: Slipping Stones is sonically exquisite and this is due to a number of factors.

Ali C has a voice that mixes a soft sweetness with a timber that only comes from years of vocal experience.

The end result is sublime.

The poetry in her songwriting flows with clever turns of phrase and paints images in the mind of the listener that make each song relevant.

But perhaps the ‘secret sauce’ in this record is in the production.

Producer Stewart Peters has seemingly turned his own standards of perfection up a notch with this offering.

With the elegant lyrics, and the beautiful voice delivering them, being the undisputed hero of the dish here, Peters’ labour at the mixing desk of his Sound Shed Studios has ensured that rich layers of music, backing vocals and harmonies, never rise above Ali C’s singing.

The structure of the album also works.

Each song is placed exactly where it should be and playing it from cover to cover is the best way to enjoy it.

The opening track, “Circumstance”, as Ali explains, is her deeply personal dig at our belief that good and bad occurrences in our lives are a result of Karma.

Next is the softly funky “Outside the Square” which is followed by “Diamond River”, a song that oozes the vibe of life in the Nambucca Valley and a homecoming song for the ages.

It is an album where every listener will have their favourite song, however they all deserve your attention and at no point along the journey are you likely to skip a track.

“Everything you Fear” is, musically, the richest song on the album with most of the playing done by the multi-instrumentalist Stewart Peters himself.

Two tracks, “The Knot and Light” and “Honey” form the deliciously gooey centre of this album, with the latter coming across as a sultry dreamscape for lovers.

If there is an ear worm on the list it is “Circular Reasoning”, which is as relevant to us all as it is impossible not to sing along with.

Even the backing vocals play over and over in your head.

While the eighth song on the album, “Sunday’s Leaving”, is tinged with sadness, the final track, “House of Hope”, is an anthem to positivity and taking a stand against the things that come to test us.

Ali and Stewart account for all of the instruments played on the album.

At the album launch on Saturday night The Defibrillators were Ali C on vocals and guitars, James (Jimbo) Allen on percussion, Richard Fisher on Dobro, Mick Sadowski on saxophone, and Stewart Peters on bass and vocals.

Special guests were Cohen Pithers on piano and Alicia Parry offering backing vocals.

“These songs are a glimpse into the Slippery Stones I have traversed in my journey so far, each song a chapter,” Ali C told NOTA.

“Another stone safely crossed.”

Slipping Stones is available on Spotify and Bandcamp while CDs and download cards can be purchased from the Driftwood Cafe, Scotts Head, or by reaching out to Ali C Musicali on her Facebook page.

By Mick BIRTLES