(Vitamin)

Another appealing advocate of Americana Australia-style

It took Melbourne singer-songwriter four years to finally get around to his debut album, but when he did, it came quickly. Produced by notables Tim Hall and Jeff Lang (adding plenty of his distinctive guitar to the mix) and featuring guests like Liz Stringer and Laura Jean, it took only five days to assemble these 13 tracks. Not that it sounds at all rushed, especially when you hear the patient roots balladry of tracks like The Day I Leave This Town and I Could Die Looking At You. That latter song, incidentally, confirms Lane’s connection with this country, drawing on the legacy of Banjo Patterson. We also get an Australian’s perspective on the darker side of a visit to Vietnam in War Rages On, where Lane’s simple but effective guitar picking gets a lift from Salvation Army-like horns. Yet, despite the sense of place in the narratives of these songs, Lane’s inspirations come from further afield – specifically, American folk, country and blues, clearly evident in rollicking tracks like Dig Straight Through and the Dylanesque romp of John W Thistle. Served well by a voice that sits between wistful and weary, between emotive and earnest, Jordie Lane is about to wake people up with this set.

BILL HOLDSWORTH

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