Bernard
Fanning Tea & Sympathy (Lost
Highway; September 2006)
In stepping back for a moment from the cerebral rock that
emanates from the genius of antipodean guitar giants Powderfinger, lead singer Bernard Fanning has decided to take this opportunity to
venture forth on his own. But rather than continue down a similar
road to that which he navigates with the Brisbane-based ensemble,
his recent solo venture, Tea & Sympathy, sees Fanning
bringing his musical consideration to the front porch set.
Bristling acoustic guitars, chiming mandolins, effervescent
strings, and a wailing lap steel flavor the instrumental conjecture
that underpins Fanning’s fervently passionate vocalizing. Electric
guitars howl in the distance, hands clap in servitude, and cymbals
crash in affirmation. If this is nothing but an interlude within
Fanning’s more contemporary musical passage, then that would indeed
be a shame. For this is much more than a foray in roots music by a
rock and roll star.
With Tea & Sympathy, Fanning has staked a
legitimate claim upon some sacred musical territory. And in finding
residence on the label that also shelters the likes of Ryan
Adams and Lucinda Williams, Bernard Fanning is sounding right at
home.