No one makes miserable music quite like Gareth Liddiard does. Liddiard, who served as the frontman of famed Australian Blues Rock band, The Drones, and now, Tropical F— Storm, released his one and only solo album “Strange Tourist” in 2011.
The album consists of folk songs performed solely by Liddiard and his guitar, and none of them are even remotely happy. They all tell stories about different people whose lives are nothing short of bitter and sad. From a story of a mailman who mocks other’s woes while actively reading their mail to a 16-minute-long bildungsroman (a type of novel that depicts and explores the moral and psychological development of the protagonist) about a youth who becomes radicalized through his experiences in poverty and social ostracization, this album does not let up in its bleak narratives.
Liddiard employs some of the most powerful songwriting of his career, and despite the album’s depressive attitude, the stories that make it up are so engaging that they draw in any listener who is willing to follow them. If one chooses to follow the stories, the narratives are utterly satisfying from beginning to end. This album deserves more recognition and should be considered when discussing all-time greats in the Folk genre.
Rating: 10/10
