André Ethier

Ethier’s certainly a prolific cat. After leading his Deadly Snakes through their Polaris-nominated tour de force Porcella, Ethier rejuvenated the Silver Hearts on their last album, and now delivers his second solo album (the title references this and the recording studio used). As with his 2004 debut, he utilises multi-instrumentalist Christopher Sandes and the rhythm section of Pickles and Price (silly pseudonyms). No major musical surprises here, but Ethier’s passionate vocals and songs and full-blooded instrumental arrangements remain a winning combination. He has clearly studied at the Nick Cave school of Noir Drama, but he has learned his lessons well. Better that than Chad Kroeger College or the Bono Academy, right? The rich resonance of his voice is a constant pleasure, and he continues to impress as a songwriter specialising in matters of the heart. There is just enough variety here to keep things interesting with songs that range from the tender ballad "Blue Bell” to the humorous in-joke of "Now I Wanna Be Your Dad.”