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Kookaburra (album)

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Kookaburra
Studio album by
Released8 March 2024
RecordedMay 2021 and August 2023
Studio
Length48:29
LabelEGR
Producer
The Whitlams Black Stump chronology
Sancho
(2022)
Kookaburra
(2024)
Singles from Sancho
  1. "50 Again"
    Released: 13 August 2021
  2. "The Day John Sattler Broke His Jaw"
    Released: 22 April 2022
  3. "Blow Up the Pokies (Black Stump)"
    Released: 28 October 2022
  4. "No Aphrodisiac (Black Stump)"
    Released: 28 July 2023
  5. "Man About a Dog"
    Released: 15 December 2023
  6. "You Sound Like Louis Burdett"
    Released: 25 January 2024

Kookaburra is the eighth studio album by Australian band the Whitlams, and first under the name the Whitlams Black Stump. It was released on 8 March 2024.[1] The album was supported by the 25-date Kookaburra tour, commencing in March 2024.[1] In May 2024, the tour was extended by an extra 20 days.[2]

About making a country album, lead singer Tim Freedman said "I am a parochial lyric writer, and country music has a strong sense of time and place, so clothing my stories in a country music coat seemed like a natural progression to me, I had to scratch that itch and investigate."[3]

Reception

[edit]

In an album review on Sunburnt Country, Sophie Hamley acknowledged the risk the group took by re-recording their songs into a different style. Hamley said "What is also profoundly clear – in a way that it wasn’t on the earlier recordings – is that Freedman is a really lovely singer." Hamley closed the review saying, "This is an album made by experts and the listener is rewarded accordingly. Freedman's high-stakes gamble has paid off, and old fans will no doubt mingle with new as he takes these songs to people all over the land."[4]

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "Man About a Dog" (Tim Freedman) – 4:07
  2. "No Aphrodisiac" (Freedman, Glen Dormand, Matt Ford) – 2:59
  3. "Fallen Leaves" (Perry Keyes, Matt Fell, Freedman) – 3:44
  4. "In the Last Life" (Freedman, Wayne Connolly) – 4:39
  5. "The Day John Sattler Broke His Jaw" (Keyes) – 4:47
  6. "You Sound Like Louis Burdett" (Freedman, Mark Wells) – 4:14
  7. "Your Boyfriend's Back in Town" (Bernie Hayes) – 3:23
  8. "Nobody Wants to Be You" (Dan Reeder) – 2:06
  9. "There's No One" (Freedman) – 3:35
  10. "Blow Up the Pokies" (Freedman, Greta Gertler Gold) – 3:43
  11. "50 Again" (Freedman, Daniel Denholm, John Housden) – 3:21
  12. "Witness Protection Scheme" (Freedman, Chris Abrahams) – 2:57
  13. "Birds" (Neil Young) – 4:54

Personnel

[edit]

The Whitlams Black Stump

Additional musicians

  • Stu HunterHammond organ, piano (tracks 3, 5–13)
  • Josh Schuberth – drums, percussion (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7–11, 13)
  • George Washingmachine – violin (tracks 1, 2)
  • Melanie Jackson – backing vocals (tracks 3, 8–10, 12, 13)
  • Daniel Denholm – string arrangement, conductor (track 3)
  • Michele O'Young – string leader (track 3)

Technical

Visuals

  • David Frazer – lino print
  • Cate Pepper – album art, design
  • Cherrie Hughes – inside cover photo

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Kookaburra
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] 54

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "The Whitlams Black Stump Announce Massive Kookaburra Launch Tour". The Music. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  2. ^ "The Whitlams Black Stump Extend 2024 National Tour". Music Feeds. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  3. ^ "The Whitlams Black Stump Kookaburra". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Album review: KOOKABURRA by The Whitlams, Black Stump Band". Sunburnt Country. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Making a Grande entrance". Australian Recording Industry Association. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.