(Essence/Liberation)

A collaboration we shouldn’t be surprised about

Though they’ve been married a while now, the idea of Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson recording together wasn’t a given. After all, she’s the golden girl of Australian country music and he’s not – er, actually, you know him as the former frontman of Pretty Violet Stain who went solo some years ago. But then, Kasey’s brother Nash co-produced both his solo sets and he’s toured with the Chambers family so, in the end, it all came together naturally. And natural is the word for this joint effort. With Shane co-producing with Nash, and Kasey’s father Bill on hand to play various things, and with most of the 14 songs co-written, it all has an organic, shared feel. The songs roam through various country scenarios, from the rebel, Steve Earle-like sound of the title track (the opening song and apparently the first one the pair wrote together) and the lazy Nashville twang of Sweetest Waste Of Time to the sprightly, banjo-driven bluegrass romp of The Devil’s Inside My Head and the grittier rock tinges of Jackson Hole. But whatever they do (and it’s all done so well), the way these two harmonise alone makes this effort worth it.        

****

BILL HOLDSWORTH

Comments (2)

1. Written by Debbie Turton, on 10-04-2008 09:28 wow, I heard this entire Album live last night, in Melbourne. They both rocked the corner hotel. it is going to be a smash, people will rave about this year for sure.  Kasey is Australia's first lady of country, and shane aint half bad himself..

2. Written by taylor, on 14-05-2008 15:44 chasey and shane are my anty andd ancule is that cool or what

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