Track listing: Adrift, Morning After, La Nina, Desert Ship, Stevie's Song, Silver City Highway, Lisa's Song, Doc Holliday, You Walk On, One Act Opera, Wouldn't Be Dead For Quids, Pink Champagne, Too Late To Die Young, Last Drinks

The story behind Steve Kilbey & The Winged Heels' latest album The Road to Tibooburra is an interesting one, to be sure. First, a movie was being made with Kilbey playing the lead. That film was somewhat completed and debuted, but then abandoned in favor of morphing it into a musical, also centered around a character played by Kilbey who, in addition to acting, was also tasked with penning the music. To fill-out a band, he brought in a number of players who backed him on his records 11 Women and The Hall of Counterfeits. This group became dubbed as 'The Winged Heels'. So what we've got here is a collection of songs for this musical, along with a few tracks that were written and recorded around the same time.

You may now begin to ask yourself, "I wonder what this album sounds like?" As I make my way through a first listen, I hear so many things: Traveling Wilburys, Midnight Oil, Tom Waits, late-era Beatles, Dire Straits. Though Kilbey and the band are Australian, aspects of the album are very Country and 'Americana'; but also very Indie and edgy with some psychedelic influence. With the track listing not in any particular order, it's not immediately apparent which songs are in the musical, or what the plot is, or if that even matters. What is apparent is that you've got a group of musicians who collaborate really well together. The lighter sounds are akin to Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers, while the darker vibe comes across like a seedy interpretation of Chris Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing," covered by George Thorogood.

Yeah, there's a lot going on and I think the back story is helpful to help connect the dots. But what's undeniable is the talent, musicianship, and ability amongst Kilbey and The Winged Heels to pull-off so many different vibes in a singular collection of songs. The Road To Tibooburra absolutely takes you on a journey. So does it really matter if the destination has anything to do with the movie or musical that spawned the record? I think not.

Steve Kilbey has dozens of albums on Spotify dating back to 1986--he's prolific as hell as a solo artist and is perhaps better known for his years spent as a member of The Church, who themselves released dozens of albums dating back to 1981. If any of the aforementioned artists tickle your fancy, The Road To Tibooburra is worth your time. It's a songwriter's album, telling multiple stories through its lyrics and melodies. But it's also a record relatable to a wide variety of music fans and audiophiles. Steve Kilbey's always got a lot of irons in the fire--dive into one or more of his many projects starting at his online hub: thetimebeing.com.