Halfway - Farewell To The Fainthearted

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 24 / 6 / 2005

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Review

Any Laughing Outlaw release is worthy of our time.It would take some serious thinking to name an album bearing the Laughing Outlaw label which hasn’t been at the very least a good album. Most of their releases hit the excellent mark even though these days they cover an ever increasing range of genres. But once in a while a CD comes along from our favourite Australian record label which goes beyond all expectations. Redlands Palamino Co., Jenny Queen, Hired Guns, Spike Priggen and Gina Villalobos are a few which come readily to mind and now we can add Halfway to that list. We know we should never judge a book by it’s cover but there can be no denying that the CD cover conveys what music is to be contained on the little silver disc inside. An old (abandoned?) truck, and a sketch of a cowboy perched on a horse complete with guitar leaves little doubt that this must be some sort of country rock album. That the seven strong group from Brisbane look not unlike The Band did on the cover of their second album enforces this feeling. From the opening track, ‘Patience Back’, it’s obvious that although firmly planted in that country rock soil Halfway are influenced as much by bands from their homeland like the Triffids as they are by The Band, Ryan Adams, Wilco and all the usual suspects. A more apt but surprising comparison would be some of the more alt. country tracks on the last two Drive By Truckers albums. Halfway specialise in songs with a gutsier, rockier feel than most of their country rock contemporaries, apart from the obvious geographical problem ‘Six Hours From Brisbane’ could have been lifted from the Truckers ‘The Dirty South’ album. There’s been no shortage of albums over the last few years that have been brimming with banjo, pedal steel and harmonica but sadly many albums, although the intention is there, lack the well crafted songs which Halfway seem to excel at. Coupled with three part harmonies and melodies which won’t leave you alone (try ‘Something For Yourself’ as a taster, just now the favourite song on the album, far removed from the rockier sounds of say ‘Get Gone’, it’s 4 minutes 20 seconds of a gorgeous melody with yearning vocals and quite simply stunning) it shows that the band have spent the last few years honing their skills before committing their debut album to tape. All twelve listed songs are band originals plus there is a ‘hidden’ song, a striking cover of Little Feat’s ‘Willin’ but coming as it does after the closing song proper, the epic ‘C.Q. Skyline’, full of pedal steel, banjo and harmonica and sounding just like a country rock song should; all yearning vocals and conveying driving along deserted open roads late at night it shows that while the band can probably make any song their own there is no need to, they are masters at creating their own. Halfway have certainly made their mark with this debut. Anyone who likes their alt. country / country rock with a little more substance than that found on a lot of albums from that genre would do well to check out ‘Farewell To The Fainthearted’. It's an album which hits home from the very first play but also reveals more of it’s beauty each time it’s in the CD player, which believe me, will be more often than not.

Track Listing:-

1 Patience Back
2 Get Gone
3 Compromise For A Country Girl
4 Drunk Again
5 Six Hours From Brisbane
6 Miles & Miles
7 Timetables
8 Something For Yourself
9 Sure Uncertain
10 Six Pack
11 Call Anytime
12 C.Q. Skyline