Excuses Excuses Album Review - Courier Mail (4 Stars)

Calling Chris Pickering alt-country is like calling Bright Eyes alt-country. Or Josh Rouse. Or Paul Kelly, for that matter.

Sure, there's country in there - see the gorgeous backwoods bluegrass of "One Glass", for example. But there's much more going on than that, and Excuses Excuses reveals considerable growth in Pickering as an artist who touches on a refreshing array of styles while developing a strong musical identity of his own.

It's the second album by the Brisbane-based musician, who was the original drummer in The Boat People before moving on - and up to the microphone - in pursuit of his interests in roots music.

Excuses Excuses does all the things a good album should. Some tracks grab the ear instantly, some take their time to work their spell. Each song flows easily into the next but the whole thing keeps moving on rather than ploughing over the same ground.

Unlike so many albums in the CD age, this one doesn't run out of steam.

That can be a difficult thing to manage on an independent budget but there's nothing cut-rate about Excuses Excuses, superbly recorded by producer Magoo at Brisbane's Black Box studio and his rural Applewood retreat.

"Ruby Ruby" and "Ghost City" are winning pop-rock tunes with country flavours from harmonica and pedal steel; "Honey" is an almost 1950s-style singalong; "Invincible" a tender country waltz in super slow-mo.

"The Humming Song" features Pickering's easy-rolling fingerpicking acoustic guitar and a superb second vocal line from Chloe Turner, plus a lovely synthesiser break.

Then things get REALLY interesting. There's the seven-minute groove of "Fit To Print", which is closer to Abbey Road than Nashville; the sunny piano-led pop of "Little Finger"; the blues grit of "The Chain & The Wheel" and the soulful pop-rocker "Save Your Breath", with Turner taking the lead vocal on the sparkling chorus.

The album closes with a stunning ballad, "If I Came Back From A War", backed by a five-piece brass section. It's a heartbreaker.

You know you've got a strong record when it's difficult to pick favourite tracks. But don't miss "Broken Wing", a slow-simmering folk-rock delight that sounds as heartfelt as it is tender. Nice mellotron too. Hopefully that will be one that grabs some ears at radio and spreads the word about how good this record is.