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Bernard Fanning: Tea & Sympathy

Bernard Fanning: Tea & Sympathy (Lost Highway)

In America, Bernard Fanning’s band Powderfinger is unlikely to merit a nod of recognition from even a fairly knowledgeable music fan. In Australia, however, they are superstars: the preeminent voice of rock with a 10-year career and slew of platinum records at home. Okay, so the guy has earned his shot at the obligatory, “do his own thing” solo album. So to step away from Powderfinger’s populist, thinking man’s rock—they’ve been called Oz’s cross of Radiohead, Pearl Jam and U2—was to make a blues-infused country rock record. Imbibing Jimmy Page’s open tunings, 1970s Laurel Canyon and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Tea & Sympathy is more than just an exercise in Fanning doing a half-assed take of Powderfinger on his own. Truthfully, I was a little suspicious that Lost Highway was putting out this record and figured it had to be chalked up to the fact that Fanning’s band is an incredible cash cow for the label’s parent company, Universal Music. This had to be a sort of glad-hand to him. Giving it a fair listen, however, this thoughtful, well-delivered collection of songs is a natural fit in the home of Lucinda Williams and Ryan Adams. Fanning’s earthy voice lends his songs all the lived-in honesty that they need. The warm but intricate ballad “The Thrill Is Gone” bears the Zep influence but siphons it through Jackson Browne. Fanning’s narrator isn’t glum in this song of grief and seemingly accepts the mistakes he’s made with a smile. It’s got a great fiddle part at the end, too. Neil Young chord changes and hard-blown harmonica are borrowed for “Not Finished Yet.” The laidback, playful pop of “Sleeping Rough” has Fanning yearning a little carefree romance, asking, “Let’s step out and have some fun/And tell each other some big lies.” The delicate acoustic guitar and hushed harmonies of “Down to the River” give it a haunted hymn quality until it curves momentarily into a fiery bolster. After fully taking in this solid and enjoyable first solo outing, I’ve got to admit that Fanning could give up his day job and I wouldn’t mind a bit.