THE WALK-A-BOUT – Afterglow

Shred The Evidence 2021

THE WALK-A-BOUT –
Afterglow

Unplugging their charge to heighten the listener’s sensuality, Australian-American quintet serve up a translucent images of two unexpected songs.

If the gist of walkabout is to search for one’s self, this ensemble seek their identity in style and follow 2020’s "20/20" – simultaneously a sinuous and sinewy offering – with an acoustic single, laid down during the sessions for that record, which seems surprising in terms of both sound and choice of material. There are two cuts, a cover and an original, that emphasize imaginative approach exerted by the band, and while selecting them has some logic to it, the delivery particularities play a significant role in the final result.

Doing an INXS number would feel important for any group, not only collective of such geography attached to the line-up, yet THE WALK-A-BOUT render “Afterglow” – a piece dedicated to, rather than voiced by, Michael Hutchence – as a folk-tinctured ballad, drenching its melody in chamber-like strings and caressing the tune with a delicate strum, but keeping the beat belligerent and vocal harmonies tight. For a contrast, the equally tender reading of “Hero” from the aforementioned album comes across as a relaxed return to the quintet’s riff-laden approach – given a sway where swagger used to be, to bring out the track’s emotional aspect to the fore and let Kevin Anderson and Dave Christian’s guitars weave a lace around Sully Sullivan’s pipes.

The outcome is impressive – and it sets the bar for the ensemble’s next opus very high.

*****

March 24, 2021