Album Review: Bernard Fanning - Departures

Brisbane's favourite son returns with his second solo outing and the first since Powderfinger's 2010 split. The title does indeed indicate Bernard Fanning's frame of mind when recording this latest long-player, but just how does he follow up arguably the biggest band in the country in the last 15 years, as well as an eight-year gap between his lone releases?

It certainly isn't Tea & Sympathy part two, well not initially at least. Instead, Fanning and notorious American producer Joe Chiccarrelli have molded something that could've quite easily been the new record from his former band. This isn't something to be scorned, however, as Fanning is at the age to play it quite sensibly, re-establishing himself as one of the country's finest voices (ever!) and a damn fine, top shelf songwriter. Beginning with an energetic spring in its step with the opening trio of tunes – Tell Me How It Ends, Limbo Stick and first single Battleships – it all sounds fresh and reinvigorated, pushing the envelope very little while gently reminding us of his past, if not quite equalling it.

Grow Around You is another beautiful track, if vaguely reminiscent of another Powderfinger track (will leave you guess that one) while Departures (Blue Toowong Skies) aims for the heavens as only Fanning can. While he remains a damn fine lyrist, the other songs on Departures struggle to meet the calibre one would expect from Fanning in order to truly dominate like his band once did, or even the successful Wish You Well from his solo debut. It's difficult to say a bad word, but this just doesn't command the repeat plays it should.