Bernard Fanning
Tea & Sympathy
(Lost Highway)
First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2006, Volume 13, #10
Written by John Metzger
It ought not be surprising that Tea &
Sympathy, the solo debut from Powderfinger’s Bernard Fanning, settles
comfortably into its ’70s-imbued aura. After all, the Australian outfit spent
its early days tackling songs by Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling
Stones. However, instead of turning up the volume and riding high upon a
bombastic bed of rough-and-tumble, electric guitars, Fanning opted to take a
more subtle approach. Enlisting the assistance of producer Tchad Blake, he
applied acoustic instrumentation to his pop-imbued material, and fully embracing
a vocal style that is reminiscent of both Ryan Adams and The Black Crowes’ Chris
Robinson, Fanning enthusiastically explores a range of styles that contains
elements of country, gospel, southern rock, blues and soul. As his voice glides over the top of the mostly
mid-tempo fare, it illuminates the weary yearning of his lyrics, transforming
the bittersweet tunes into impassioned, heartfelt reflections upon life and
love. Nevertheless, his compositions and arrangements are so finely honed that —
despite their pleasant, easy-going nature — they frequently fail to make much of
a lasting impression, and worse, his attempts to offer some variety by turning
up the clatter (Wish You Well, Which Way Home) inevitably fall
flat. Even so, Tea & Sympathy accomplishes precisely what any good debut
ought to do in that its employment of well-crafted and comfortingly familiar
frameworks allows Fanning to establish his credibility. Yet, by playing it as
safe as he does, he places the onus squarely upon his sophomore effort to
determine whether his new forays are successful or whether they are merely
exercises in derivative regurgitation. 
Of Further Interest...
Tea & Sympathy is available from Barnes & Noble.
To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box