It might be only November, but I’ve already found my summer soundtrack thanks to Busby Marou. I slipped their latest album Farewell Fitzroy on recently to motivate me with my weekend housework and before I knew it I’d listened to it five times.
From the opening track “My Second Mistake,” this is album is a really easy listen. I don’t mean that in a negative sense at all. It’s far from lazy, but it is accessible. It especially feels familiar to a fan like me. They’re certainly not going to alienate their faithful followers with this collection of songs.
The music is so organic, and matched with really insightful, witty songwriting that brings back the art of telling a story through lyrics. Acoustic guitar and those natural harmonies anchor every song. I think I said something similar when I reviewed the Toowoomba duo’s debut, but they’re not resting on their laurels. Keys, mandolin, harmonica, strings, and electric guitars play more of a part than I remember them doing on the first album, which felt like much more of a two-hander. They’ve certainly built on their signature sound, but there’s still that essential Busby Marou core.
I’m still trying to settle on a favourite song because there really are no filler tracks. If you pressed me though I might name “Leave It Up to Me” because it’s just got such a powerful emotional centre and vulnerability about it. I also never imagined Busby Marou would create a song as epic as “Wage a War.” It builds to something truly special.
I certainly expect to be naming different tracks as I fully absorb this album over the coming months. But even a few days into listening to it I know Busby Marou haven’t suffered from any second-album syndrome here. The band raised the bar so high with their debut, but they certainly match that effort with Farewell Fitzroy.