4/5 stars
Gympie-born singer-songwriter Darren Hanlon is somewhat of an Australian institution. While upcoming indie/roots artists may come and go, it seems Hanlon will always be around releasing records. His fifth full-length has arrived in the form of Where Did You Come From?, an album recorded at five different studios across the United States, where he spent several months travelling solo.
Musically, this is a new direction for Hanlon. The session musicians he worked with in the US give each track a unique feel. ‘There’s Nothing On My Mind’ and ‘Salvation Army’ feel like traditional songs, passed down through generations, whereas ‘The Chattanooga Shoot Shoot’ is a Bob-Dylan-meets-Courtney-Barnett stream-of-consciousness tale with a country twinge. Likewise, the long and winding ‘Halley’s Comet, 1986’ feels like a tale passed down from grandfather to grandson, given new life by Hanlon’s voice.
Hanlon’s music shines through best when it’s intimate. His vocal style excels in songs such as ‘When You Go’ and ‘My Love Is An Ocean Away’, which each feel deeply personal and honest, like he’s performing to an audience of one.
Hanlon remains an artist who plays to the beat of his own drum, responsible for some of the finest songs Australia has to offer.
