Paul Dempsey - RHP album review

Aus-rock darlings Something For Kate have always defied classification. Their meandering melodies and musical permutations have always kept fans and critics guessing - an ability that has kept the band relevant for well over a decade. Now, for the first time, SFK frontman Paul Dempsey is going it alone - literally.

Apart from the odd cameo, Dempsey wrote and performed every note on his debut solo release, Everything Is True… a feat that gains weight with each listen. Unlike his nine-to-five, Dempsey’s solo work hangs its hat on simple ideas presented simply. There’s a gentility that vibrates within each track, haunting the album as a whole and lending Dempsey a transparency that we’ve not seen or heard before.

Perhaps the greatest exploration into his own abilities has been Dempsey’s vocal work on Everything Is True. Although he wields one of the most powerful voices in rock, the big man sits back, building narratives and themes in a way that’s more akin to Canadian crooner Bon Iver than his own work in SFK.

The tricky part about checking your fists at the door is making each fragile idea fly, and while Dempsey does an admirable job at just that, there are couple skippers on this record. However, tracks like Bats, Out The Airlock, Have You Fallen Out Of Love and Ramona Was A Waitress are among Dempsey’s best work, in solo mode or otherwise. A definite purchase for Something For Kate fans and worth a look for anyone else.