Sydneyfan
01-11-2007, 02:14 AM
This album was a huge critical and commercial success in Australia and it deserved to be. Fanning is a brilliant and distinctive vocalist with an ear for a catchy tune. This album sees him stray into alt-country territory and the results are fabulous. Most Ryan fans should appreciate this one.
The comforting ’70s country-rock vibe emanating from Bernard Fanning’s debut solo disc, Tea & Sympathy, doesn’t betray for a moment his renowned membership with Powderfinger, one of Australia’s most successful hard-rock bands. Recorded during a Powderfinger hiatus, Fanning channels the gentle power of country dabblers like Led Zeppelin (“Thrill is Gone”) and more committed practitioners such as Neil Young (“Not Finished Just Yet,” “Songbird”) while folding in the funky/soulful acoustic gospel undercurrent that marked the best ’70s work of Rod Stewart and Elton John (“Hope & Validation,” “Sleeping Rough”) as well as contemporary nods to fellow Antipodeans the Finn brothers (“The Strangest Thing”). Predictably, Tea & Sympathy has generated hit singles and huge numbers for Fanning at home, mirroring Powderfinger’s stellar success Down Under. Here’s hoping the dismal indifference that has greeted Powderfinger in the States doesn’t taint this marvelous album’s chances for broader exposure Up Over.
http://harpmagazine.com/reviews/cd_reviews/detail.cfm?article_id=4664
The comforting ’70s country-rock vibe emanating from Bernard Fanning’s debut solo disc, Tea & Sympathy, doesn’t betray for a moment his renowned membership with Powderfinger, one of Australia’s most successful hard-rock bands. Recorded during a Powderfinger hiatus, Fanning channels the gentle power of country dabblers like Led Zeppelin (“Thrill is Gone”) and more committed practitioners such as Neil Young (“Not Finished Just Yet,” “Songbird”) while folding in the funky/soulful acoustic gospel undercurrent that marked the best ’70s work of Rod Stewart and Elton John (“Hope & Validation,” “Sleeping Rough”) as well as contemporary nods to fellow Antipodeans the Finn brothers (“The Strangest Thing”). Predictably, Tea & Sympathy has generated hit singles and huge numbers for Fanning at home, mirroring Powderfinger’s stellar success Down Under. Here’s hoping the dismal indifference that has greeted Powderfinger in the States doesn’t taint this marvelous album’s chances for broader exposure Up Over.
http://harpmagazine.com/reviews/cd_reviews/detail.cfm?article_id=4664