Inspired by a soul-searching trip to New York, Sydney singer/songwriter
Josh Pyke abandons his usual one-man band style of recording and for the first time, relinquishes some control to additional musicians for his third album,
Only Sparrows. Produced by
Wayne Connolly (
Neil Finn), who also presided over his 2007 debut,
Memories & Dust, it's an approach which has resulted in a more expansive sound, as evident on the "wooh-ooh" harmonies and infectious handclaps of the driving country-rock lead single, "No One Wants a Lover," the twisted steel guitar riffs and old-fashioned rock & roll beats of the driving singalong "The World Is a Picture," and the romantic
Lloyd Cole-esque bedsit indie of "Coffee Cups," all of which provide
Pyke's most blatant attempts at a mainstream hit to date. However, the follow-up to the ARIA Award-winning Chimney's Afire produces far less calculated results when he combines his newfound collaborative spirit with his trademark wistful and introspective folk-pop sound. Opener "Clovis Son" is a gorgeous fusion of gently strummed acoustics, twinkling glockenspiels, and dreamy West Coast harmonies which shows that his ability to tug at the heartstrings hasn't deserted him during his three-year solo absence, a quality also perfectly showcased on "Punch in the Heart," a somber, stripped-back ballad featuring the ethereal vocals of
Little Birdy's
Katy Steele, while the melancholic "Particles" begins with a brooding alt-rock hook before merging with an array of clattering rhythms and skittering synths on a surprisingly convincing attempt at folktronica. Perhaps recognizing the album's uptempo shortcomings,
Pyke states "If I could write a sad song every day/I'd be the happiest f***** I know," ironically on the album's most upbeat track. If he could just have focused entirely on these melancholic ambitions, then
Only Sparrows might not have been such an inconsistent affair. ~ Jon O'Brien