Track listing: Dollar, Oh My Darling, Reading Minds, She Knew, Falling, One & Only, August Song, Operator, Solo Sailor, The Nobody Song, All the Ships in the Ocean

Jindabyne is the latest album by Australian singer/songwriter Jack Nolan, released August 4, 2023. It's also a town in southeast New South Wales that overlooks the scenic lake of the same name, known for its intriguing curiosity rocks among other things. Yeah, the lake on the album cover! But that's neither here nor there. This is a review of a damn good record.

As I'm listening through Jindabyne, I'm taken aback. It's such a solid, mature, full-bodied album of unflinchingly well-written songs. He's not fucking around. From the first notes of the lead-off track "She Knew" Jack sets a tone: serious, wise, engaging. The passion rolling into the first chorus is absolutely undeniable. 

It was the pandemic that lit a songwriting and recording fire under Nolan: "...we all went into lockdown--suddenly there were no certainties in life; this created a sense of urgency in me, so I made a conscious decision not to waste the time and went to work writing Jindabyne. As soon as I could post-lockdown, I was booked and took off back to the U.S.” 

He recorded the album live with a band he'd worked with many times before:  producer/guitarist Justin Weaver (The Chicks/Wynonna Judd), drummer Jimmy Paxson (Lindsey Buckingham/The Chicks/Ben Harper) and bassist Chris Autry (Josh Turner/Lee Anne Womack). A stellar line-up that pays off in spades if you're betting on good music.

The album traverses from up-tempo numbers like the aforementioned opener "Dollar" and "She Knew" to lush somber soundscapes as heard in "Falling" and quirky lilts like "The Nobody Song." An enjoyable journey through the streets of Jindabyne, sharing stories you'd just as likely hear told in local pubs and shops. Take a listen to Jindabyne on Spotify and follow Jack's new releases, shows, and news at jacknolanmusic.com.