Cool Stuff

Due to the fact that Australia is isolated form the rest of the world, we tend to be much more Alternative. Think Alternative is to Australia as what R&B is to America. This means that if you want hard Iron Maiden...go somewhere else but this album i found was quite deep and Bernard Fanning's voice is a lot more melodic than your average rock band's giving The Finger a much more individual sound. Personally I think that Powderfinger wouldn't be where they are now without Bernard's vocals.

Impressive

Because Australia is pretty much separated from the rest of the world, the music is often different from what you may find elsewhere. And because of the large amount of foreign music shoved into the Aussie culture, it therefore makes Australian musicians determined to stand out - and for the better.

Meet Powderfinger, one of Australia's premier rock bands. Their earlier albums were harder rock (as is their latest venture, "Vulture Street"), but what makes "Odyssey Number Five" stand out is the powerful quality, and it's gentler than "The Finger's" other albums. And while it does have some tracks you could brush over, there are some truly stunning ones to keep you interested.

"My Happiness" was number one on Triple J's Hottest 100 for a year (Triple J being an Aussie radio station that mostly plays local alternative music). It's a light rock ballad, but I think I've heard it too many times for me to be able to properly appreciate it. This is a problem when music that you like happens to be commercially friendly.

"Like a Dog" is one of the best tracks on the album. It's rock, with some great riffs, definitely a song for driving. It also seems to have a close connection with Australia, and not just because boxing star Anthony "The Man" Mundine appeared in the film clip. Some examples of references to Australia include "Now we're trying hard to reconcile a history of shame, but he reinforced the barriers that keep it the same" as well as "But it's a fine, fine time for the people in the lucky land." Meanwhile, "These Days" is simply brilliant. You'll know what I mean if you've heard it. And "Up & Down & Back Again" is another powerful track, with somewhat of a pleading quality in lead singer Bernard Fanning's voice. It's a somewhat inspiring piece ("I hope that you remember that pride comes before a fall" and "Have you ever attempted to be yourself when everybody wants you to be someone else?"), and is one of the better songs on the album.

But "Thrilloilogy" is the real stunner, capturing attention from the very opening bars. This has a riff that sounds rather sad, and this track is one of the most emotional songs on the album, music-wise. It's a powerful, brilliant piece that is mostly rock, except for when it softens for the bridge, and then rises for the coda. I'd go as far as to say it's the best track on the album, and it shouldn't be ignored.

As for other tracks, "The Metre" brings a touch of classy sophistication with the use of strings. It's a song for the journeyman (one can't help but picture a quiet road), which comes up with some interesting lyrics ("pull off the social bluff, celebrate your success"). However, I can't quite connect with the song, even though it's obviously well written. "My Kind of Scene" is also a deserted road song, that was featured on the "Mission: Impossible 2" soundtrack. But it's a bit too flat for me... you could even say, "it's not my kind of scene". And "We Should Be Together Now" is rock, with nothing particularly special about it.

Other tracks include "Waiting for the Sun" (a haunting and emotional piece of moderate rock), "Odyssey #5" (a small, dreamy little interlude, with the lyrics being a bit silly) and "Whatever Makes You Happy" (an acoustic piece that I've got on my "Songs For My Funeral" list - consider it for yours).

Overall, this is some of the best rock made in Australia, truly high quality. However, some of the tracks just can't keep me interested enough, and so I brought the mark out of 10 down from 9 to 8. But there are some tracks that one just can't go past. It's worthy for alternative and rock music collections.

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What were the last two reviewers smoking?

Personally, I believe that Powderfinger is one of the best Australian bands out there. It is one of the albums in my collection that I can start up and listen from the first song to the last. Do not listen to either of the last two reviewers - 'Odyssey #5' has more than enough redeeming features to make any Powderfinger fan happy.