Powderfinger

Odyssey Number Five (Universal Records)

Powderfinger is not a household name, and yet this honest band hailing from Brisbane, Australia, produces possibly the best rock around. They have been the most successful band in their native country for quite a while, but it is only with their fourth album, Odyssey Number Five, that they make their U.S. debut. And what a debut it is.

Just about every track on Odyssy Number Five illustrates some aspect of the Powderfinger’s musical strengths, whether it be the soaring anthems “My Kinda Scene” (first heard on the M:I-2 soundtrack) and “These Days,” the quiet beauty of “The Metre” and “Whatever Makes You Happy,” or the raw energy of “Like a Dog.”

Powderfinger have developed considerably from their earlier, less polished and more indie-influenced recordings. The major criticism of their previous release, Internationalist, which still hovered around the Australian top 50 two years after its release, was that many of the album’s songs sounded the same.

If that was ever a valid criticism, it has been more than remedied on Odyssey Number Five, which takes the listener on a journey from the intimate to the exhibitionistic and just about every shade in between. It is an archetypal rock album, influenced by Jeff Buckley’s beauty of line and Nirvana’s bass, but finding its own distinct and powerful voice. The best rock songs must have staying power—witness the persistent popularity of anthems by U2 or REM. I have a feeling Powderfinger’s songs will soon join the list and will be enjoyed for a long time.