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Kookaburra (album)

Kookaburra is the eighth studio album by Australian band the Whitlams, and first under the name the Whitlams Black Stump. It was released on 8 March 2024. The album was supported by the 25-date Kookaburra tour, commencing in March 2024. In May 2024, the tour was extended by an extra 20 days.

About making a country album, lead singer Tim Freedman said "I am a parochial lyric writer, and country music has a strong sense of time and place, so clothing my stories in a country music coat seemed like a natural progression to me, I had to scratch that itch and investigate."

At the AIR Awards of 2025, the album was nominated for Best Independent Country Album or EP.

Reception

In an album review on Sunburnt Country, Sophie Hamley acknowledged the risk the group took by re-recording their songs into a different style. Hamley said "What is also profoundly clear – in a way that it wasn’t on the earlier recordings – is that Freedman is a really lovely singer." Hamley closed the review saying, "This is an album made by experts and the listener is rewarded accordingly. Freedman's high-stakes gamble has paid off, and old fans will no doubt mingle with new as he takes these songs to people all over the land."

Track listing

  1. "Man About a Dog" (Tim Freedman) – 4:07
  2. "No Aphrodisiac" (Freedman, Glen Dormand, Matt Ford) – 2:59
  3. "Fallen Leaves" (Perry Keyes, Matt Fell, Freedman) – 3:44
  4. "In the Last Life" (Freedman, Wayne Connolly) – 4:39
  5. "The Day John Sattler Broke His Jaw" (Keyes) – 4:47
  6. "You Sound Like Louis Burdett" (Freedman, Mark Wells) – 4:14
  7. "Your Boyfriend's Back in Town" (Bernie Hayes) – 3:23
  8. "Nobody Wants to Be You" (Dan Reeder) – 2:06
  9. "There's No One" (Freedman) – 3:35
  10. "Blow Up the Pokies" (Freedman, Greta Gertler Gold) – 3:43
  11. "50 Again" (Freedman, Daniel Denholm, John Housden) – 3:21
  12. "Witness Protection Scheme" (Freedman, Chris Abrahams) – 2:57
  13. "Birds" (Neil Young) – 4:54

Personnel

The Whitlams Black Stump

Additional musicians

  • Stu Hunter – Hammond organ, piano (tracks 3, 5–13)
  • Josh Schuberth – drums, percussion (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7–11, 13)
  • George Washingmachine – violin (tracks 1, 2)
  • Melanie Jackson – backing vocals (tracks 3, 8–10, 12, 13)
  • Daniel Denholm – string arrangement, conductor (track 3)
  • Michele O'Young – string leader (track 3)

Technical

  • William Bowden – mastering
  • Dan Frizza – engineering
  • Adrian Breakspear – engineering (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7–11, 13)
  • Ted Howard – additional engineering

Visuals

  • David Frazer – lino print
  • Cate Pepper – album art, design
  • Cherrie Hughes – inside cover photo

Charts

References