Album Review: Leadfinger - No Room At The Inn

Stewart “Leadfinger” Cunningham is a stalwart of the Aussie rock underground, having played guitar during the late-'80s in Wollongong's The Proton Energy Pills – members of which went on to form Tumbleweed – and then Sydney rock bands Asteroid B-612, Brother Brick and Challenger-7 as well as Melbourne outfit The Yes-Men. For the last few years Cunningham and a revolving crew of cohorts have been playing as Leadfinger, and they're now dropping fourth album, No Room At The Inn.

The album is a change of pace for both Leadfinger and Cunningham, striving for a classic late-'60s/early-'70s rock sound – think The Byrds, Tom Petty, Big Star and the like – and largely succeeding. It's not an exercise in style over substance, however, as some of these songs are the best that Cunningham has ever penned, and it works in a way not unlike how Chris Bailey morphed The Saints from their punk roots to the more classic-rock sound of that band's '80s incarnation. There's a hint of bluesy swagger, not unlike the vibe of the Stones at their peak, but with a distinctly Australian tone (in both content and delivery). The authentic-sounding backing vocals of Chloe West give You're So Strange and Gimme The Future a classic veneer, while there's a sense of disillusionment to the lyrics of Cruel City, The Lonely Road, No Room At The Inn and The Wandering Man that is offset by the lustre of the vibrant arrangements and songwriting.

Leadfinger have accumulated an impressive body of work over the last few years. Here's hoping that this excellent album will finally afford them some of the interest and accolades that they so clearly deserve.