Bennett, Bowtell and Urquhart
WEEDS (Caroline)
★★★★½

Is this the best, most original and accomplished collection of country songs (tinged with gospel, blues, soul) since Kasey​ Chambers’ The Captain? A true rarity: glorious harmonies, songs of depth and honesty, set against a rich diversity of country-inflected styles. There are country gospel harmonies on Mountain of Pain; sweet, feisty female harmonies on Any Bells; down-home country sentimentality infuses Fading Out; uptempo​ vitality defines Love or Money; transcendentally beautiful a capella harmonies on Lonely Wonga, and a pointed critique of racism in a song suffused with love of country, Just Down The Hall. A coda: Kevin Bennett, Lyn Bowtell​ and Felicity Urquhart join voices with the late Karl Broadie (via a demo recorded when he was alive) on a melancholy tale of sadness, Every Hello, with the classic country line, “Every hello eventually leads to goodbye”. This is a reminder of the beauty of so-called “alt-country”: great songs happily free from the Aussie jingoism of utes, mates and the mythical outback. It’s forged out of the Australian experience but, in its level of playing, singing and songwriting, it could hold its head high in any company. BRUCE ELDER (Sydney Morning Herald)