Brendan Welch
The Gleaner
Heart Of The Rat Records
When
Melbourne singer-songwriter Brendan Welch’s debut LP, The Gleaner, first appeared in 2009, it heralded the arrival of
another strong songwriter and arranger. It followed two EPs – The Unbeat and That Ghost, the former of which scored a bit of Triple J play – but
it was the full-length offering that really showcased Welch’s talent.
Earlier
this year, The Gleaner scored a
re-release through the Ballarat-based Heart Of The Rat Records, on vinyl no
less, a little gem rediscovered and pushed back into the zeitgeist, destined to
rekindle the acclaim it garnered six years ago.
The
record certainly has a country bent to it, and within that framework is where
Welch mainly works, covering a fair bit of ground. The lilting ‘Think I’d
Always Thought (I’d Fall In Love With You)’ begins proceedings, his voice
strong, which sets the scene for the rest of the album.
Tracks
like ‘With A Steady Hand’ up the tempo, more of an outlaw country sort of
thing, the momentum slowing with ‘Run While You Still Can’, its tinkling
ivories recalling both some old saloon somewhere, as well as strains of the
blues, before Welch’s voice comes in and swings it gently back toward
Nashville.
‘If
Only I Could Know You Then’ showcases some tasty guitar, lazy and hard-driving,
and for me, it’s these moments that stand tall; that almost stoner-rock style
of country music. Welch’s voice on this particular track brings to mind a
clearer-voiced Neil Young.
Overall,
this is a record which should have received even more attention than it did
upon initial release. Going back to it, particularly on vinyl, has been almost
a revelation – this is a great album, it stands tall as an example of not only
what Welch is capable of, but of the world-class Americana that’s been coming
out of Melbourne for years now. To my mind then, Welch should be thinking very
much about a follow-up. More of this sort of thing certainly would not go
astray. Samuel J. Fell
***
Joshua Seymour
Rope Tied Hope
Lucky Buck Records
Joshua
Seymour is, when not in solo mode, the guitar and mandolin player for Melbourne
Americana outlaws Cherrywood. Here, he steps out on his own for the first time,
a collection of earthy, real songs penned over his time tripping about the
place, recorded in Argyle, Texas – the results are solid.
Ranging
from introspective piano-led ballads (‘Carry It Home’), to carefree
finger-snappers (‘Nothing To Me Now’, ‘Don’t Wait Up’), to red-dirt country numbers
(‘Two Or Few’), it is at its heart an Americana album, but there’s a distinct
Australian bent to it. It shimmers slowly like heat haze, the stories are of
experiences both true and fictional, told in a comfortable and honest way,
recalling images of home, Australia, the other red-dirt place.
Seymour
is a songwriter who’s growing fast. This is a good start, I look forward to
seeing what he comes up with next. Samuel
J. Fell
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