Lawrence Greenwood doesn’t do things in half measures. In 2010, just as the Whitley juggernaut was riding its highest wave of popularity – with the release of Go Forth, Find Mammoth, the follow-up to 2007’s The Submarine – he pulled the plug on the project, citing disillusionment with music and the industry in general. Fast forward three years and, after trekking halfway across the world on a quest for self-fulfillment, Greenwood – as Whitley – is back. With an album title inspired from a quote by the great Werner Herzog, no less.
Even The Stars Are A Mess is an ambitious record, destined to divide fans of the Melbournian singer-songwriter. Whereas his previous material, no matter how pensive, always veered towards the anthemic, ETSAAM is an album of prolonged restraint, eschewing catchy choruses and clap-along rhythms for a set of stripped back songs that put the focus squarely on Greenwood’s voice and his searching, introspective lyrics.
The Ballad of Terence McKenna is a tender, teasing opener. Greenwood’s clash of optimism and world-weariness has never been so stirring. Backed by a gently-strummed guitar, he sings: “It is not a mean world / It’s beautiful / I’ve seen it”. But just as the song appears poised for take-off, it slips suddenly back into the void from where it came.
Lead single, My Heart Is Not A Machine is a less dramatic, but similarly restrained effort. As with the bulk of ETSAAM, Greenwood strips back all excesses to shine a light on lyrics that ponder a range of grand existential questions. On the spooky, skeletal OK, he nails the source of his unrest, singing: “It’s just that I need / More than the world has in a moment / Just by a pinch”. It’s the search for this elusive something that drives ETSAAM. And by winding things down and denying his songs the hooks that dominated much of his earlier material, Greenwood makes his journey all the more stark. It’s a bold move. Especially for a guy with a large chunk of the triple j listenership in his pocket. But it’s courageous, and you’ve got to give him credit for that.
BY WAYNE MARSHALL
Best Track: The Ballad of Terence McKenna
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: A fair deal of the ambient folk pop that’s all the rage at the moment.
In A Word: Searching
