Kookaburra (album) explained

Kookaburra
Type:	studio
Artist:	the Whitlams Black Stump
Cover:	Kookaburra by Whitlams Black Stump.png
Released:	8 March 2024
Recorded:	May 2021 and August 2023
Studio:	Sony (East Sydney) Rancom St (Botany) The Music Cellar (Central Coast) Oceanic (Brookvale) Wilder (Gowrie Park)
Length:	48:29
Label:	EGR
Producer:	Matt Fell Rod McCormack
Prev Title:	Sancho
Prev Year:	2022

Kookaburra is the eighth studio album by Australian band the Whitlams, and first under the name the Whitlams Black Stump. It was released on 8 March 2024.^[1] The album was supported by the 25-date Kookaburra tour, commencing in March 2024.^[1] In May 2024, the tour was extended by an extra 20 days.^[2]

About making a country album, lead singer Tim Freedman said "I am a parochial lyric writer, and country music has a strong sense of time and place, so clothing my stories in a country music coat seemed like a natural progression to me, I had to scratch that itch and investigate."^[3]

Reception

In an album review on Sunburnt Country, Sophie Hamley acknowledged the risk the group took by re-recording their songs into a different style. Hamley said "What is also profoundly clear – in a way that it wasn’t on the earlier recordings – is that Freedman is a really lovely singer." Hamley closed the review saying, "This is an album made by experts and the listener is rewarded accordingly. Freedman's high-stakes gamble has paid off, and old fans will no doubt mingle with new as he takes these songs to people all over the land."^[4]

Track listing

1. "Man About a Dog" (Tim Freedman) – 4:07
2. "No Aphrodisiac" (Freedman, Glen Dormand, Matt Ford) – 2:59
3. "Fallen Leaves" (Perry Keyes, Matt Fell, Freedman) – 3:44
4. "In the Last Life" (Freedman, Wayne Connolly) – 4:39
5. "The Day John Sattler Broke His Jaw" (Keyes) – 4:47
6. "You Sound Like Louis Burdett" (Freedman, Mark Wells) – 4:14
7. "Your Boyfriend's Back in Town" (Bernie Hayes) – 3:23
8. "Nobody Wants to Be You" (Dan Reeder) – 2:06
9. "There's No One" (Freedman) – 3:35
10. "Blow Up the Pokies" (Freedman, Greta Gertler Gold) – 3:43
11. "50 Again" (Freedman, Daniel Denholm, John Housden) – 3:21
12. "Witness Protection Scheme" (Freedman, Chris Abrahams) – 2:57
13. "Birds" (Neil Young) – 4:54

Personnel

The Whitlams Black Stump

• Tim Freedman – vocals, piano
• Ollie Thorpe – pedal steel guitars, electric guitars, backing vocals
• Rod McCormack – banjo, acoustic guitars, backing vocals, additional engineering (all tracks); production (track 1)
• Matt Fell – bass, percussion, ukulele, additional acoustic guitars, additional electric guitars, additional keyboards, backing vocals, production, mixing
• Terepai Richmond – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Stu Hunter – Hammond organ, piano (tracks 3, 5–13)
• Josh Schuberth – drums, percussion (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7–11, 13)
• George Washingmachine – violin (tracks 1, 2)
• Melanie Jackson – backing vocals (tracks 3, 8–10, 12, 13)
• Daniel Denholm – string arrangement, conductor (track 3)
• Michele O'Young – string leader (track 3)

Technical

• William Bowden – mastering
• Dan Frizza – engineering
• Adrian Breakspear – engineering (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7–11, 13)
• Ted Howard – additional engineering

Visuals

• David Frazer – lino print
• Cate Pepper – album art, design
• Cherrie Hughes – inside cover photo

Charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[5]	54

Notes and References

1. The Whitlams Black Stump Announce Massive Kookaburra Launch Tour. The Music. 7 February 2024. 13 March 2024.
2. Web site: The Whitlams Black Stump Extend 2024 National Tour. Music Feeds. 24 May 2024. 26 May 2024.
3. Web site: The Whitlams Black Stump Kookaburra. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 March 2024. 13 March 2024.
4. Web site: Album review: KOOKABURRA by The Whitlams, Black Stump Band . Sunburnt Country. 9 May 2024. 26 May 2024.
5. Web site: Making a Grande entrance. Australian Recording Industry Association. 15 March 2024. 15 March 2024.