THE WHITLAMS

The Whitlams are an Australian pop group that took almost a decade (as well as the death of one of its members) to gain some sense of recognition and momentum in their home country. Little surprise, then, that they're essentially unknown in North America.

I happened upon these guys with the song "No Aphrodisiac," whose whiskey-soaked sense of desperation and loneliness I find more than a bit beguiling. Many of the band's songs are piano-driven, so I suppose Keane might be a viable comparison. And certain singer-songwriters mine a similar vibe. Josh Rouse, for one. And I swear that lead singer Tim Freedman has a lot of '70s-era, "Laughter in the Rain" Neil Sedaka in his voice. Those of you old enough to remember '70s-era, "Laughter in the Rain" Neil Sedaka can judge for yourselves...

From the LP Eternal Nightcap, 1997 >>>
[MP3] "No Aphrodisiac"
[MP3] "Band on Every Corner"

From the LP Torch the Moon, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Royal in the Afternoon"
[MP3] "Don't Believe Anymore"

From the LP Little Cloud, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Keep the Light On"