Customer Reviews

Internationalist

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is an amazing accomplishment, especially given the task the band faced in following up 'Double Allergic'. 'Internationalist' is an extremely diverse record, from the sharp lyricism of 'The Day You Come' and 'Celebrity Head' to the transcendental vocals of 'Already Gone' and 'Passenger' to the guitar artistry of 'Belter' and 'Capoicity' to the hard, fast rock of 'Don't Wanna Be Left Out' and 'Good Day Ray' which characterised their previous album. 'Internationalist' allows itself quiet moments; the accoustic guitar and harmonic vocals of 'Over My Head' are reminiscient of Elliott Smith at his moodiest. Powderfinger's approach is markedly different from most of other alternative bands to emerge from Brisbane in the mid-nineties. In a scene characterised by high experimentation and gimmickry (sometimes at the cost of quality), Powderfinger has maintained an honest, consistent approach based on hard work, thoughful songwriting and unity of sound. However, there are some marked Queensland traits to this group. Their often self-deprecatory sense of humour has similarities to Custard and their diversity mirrors Regurgitator. Certainly they deserve all the international acclaim of Savage Garden more than Savage Garden does.

I first heard this album after borrowing it off a friend. i bought it the next day. this album just has so many great tracks on it that it should make it into everyones collections. Passenger, Already Gone, Day You Come, Belter and Trading Places are the stand out tracks, with passenger probably being the best on the album. Bernard Fannings vocals are so powerful, and he is well backed up by the rest of the band. I just hope that they can make it on an international level and get the recognition that they truly deserve.

These guys are simply something else - one of the best bands in the world if you ask me! 6 stars if I could on this one! I lived in Australia and watched this band from it's beginnings, and this CD is a real peak for them - glad to see that it won all the ARIA awards it was nominated for.

My armchair comparison of Powderfinger to a fellow yank is 'REM meets Collective Soul meets Bowie...and MUCH MORE!' They have a unique sound that I would not pidgeonhole into 'alternative' or some other category - it is just simply great music that is more reminiscent of the songwriting sensibilities of the 70's with a 90's 'sound and power' to the music. The 'hard' selections really rock, and the softer ones just sing to ya the way it should be sung...Bernard Fanning is simply one of the greatest rock singers today - full stop.

I hope that they get some US exposure real soon, as they deserve it (if they want it) just as much as AC/DC or Midnight Oil have enjoyed over the years. EVERYONE that has had a chance to listen to my Powderfinger CD's are blown away...

From the first time I heard "My Kinda Scene", off the Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack, I knew I had found an incredible band. "Internationalist" is the finest studio recording to ever come out of Aulstralia and possiblY the whole world! This is a record that people will be talking about for years to come, and, like the Beatles before them, this band will continue to produce records that get better every time around. This record contains songs ranging from soft acoustic heartbreakers- to loud bonecrushing rock and rollers! There is something this band has that I have never heard before:a sound, a feeling, a talent. BUY THIS RECORD! You'll thank me!

Smart and soulful, with an intelligence somewhat lacking in 99% of todays 'rehash' rock (see MATCHBOX 20 for details) Powderfinger have managed to combine some sassy jazz-like shapes with some huge dirty power guitars and fit that seamlessly side by side with some of the most beautiful and heart-rending ballads to come out of ANYONE'S stereo in the past five years. This album breathes with a life of its own. It grooves, it rocks and it burns the rest into the dirt with it's glorious heat. If only America and the rest of the world could just WISE UP.............

I don't want to take anything away from Savage Garden, but Powderfinger deserves to have twice the success they had in America. It's a shame americans aren't showing much interest in this band, even after the release of Odyssey Number Five which gave us hits like My Hapiness and Like a Dog (that didn't catch on over here). But I am getting ahead of myself. This is about Powderfinger's greatest album and one of the best australian album of all time.

This is the kind of power-pop (if I may call it that) album you could just listen to over and over, especially under a hot summer sun (well that's my opinion). Hindley Street, Belter or Don't Wanna Be Left Out give out so much energy it's crazy. You'll just want to sing along and shake your head (and dance, if that's your thing) until the songs are over (and maybe after, it's that's your thing). Just like ballads like The Day You Come and Passenger will have you slow down and just listen. The song styles here vary a lot, but not so that you would think they all come from different bands. They all come together in a very good way.

There are two essentials Powderfinger albums, this one and Odyssey Number Five. Don't set foot in Australia without having given them a listen (or a few, if that's your thing(I should stop using these"( )")). And to you, Good-Day.

Powderfinger are arguably the most popular rock band in Australian at the moment, and this CD plays a big part in that popularity. You wont find 3 better consecutive songs on a album than '3: Day you Come', '4: Already Gone' and '5: Passenger'. Just let the CD play. A triumph.

While the "indie-rock" part of me doesn't want to admit it, this album isn't quite as good as Odessey No. 5. It's only a half-step behind however. I couldn't resist exposer to this album when I was living in Australia. When it was first released it shot right to the top of the Australian charts, with at least three singles being played constantly by MMM and JJJ. The album well deserved this kind of attention, and I only wish it could have been exposed to the American market in the same way.

I'd say about 3/4 of the album is 4 to 5 stars, while two or three cuts would only get a 2 or 3 from me. The songwriting and vocals are solid, but the production is lacking; especially when compared to Odessey No. 5.

It's also unfortunate that Powderfinger's newest c.d. "Vulture Street" is again only available as an import despite getting domestic distribution for Odessey No. 5.

Powderfinger's previous album "Double Allergic" introduced a more mellow, melodic and personal style to their grunge roots. On this album the band continues to evolve further along that path - the harder sound is still there in places, but generaly this is a pretty mellow CD. Vocalist Bernard Fanning sings in a more Radioheadish tone on a number of tracks.

This album got a lot of radioplay and tracks like "passenger", "day you come", "lemon sunrise", "private man" are pretty good. The album and music doesn't break ground but has more personality than most of the blandness played on Aussie radio.

The album does grow on you over time although it lacks a few hard hitting and more interesting tracks of its predecessor. This is a good one for new and old fans.

This album is amazing. Utterly amazing. I am blown away. I can't say much more, but I'll try.
I am a massive fan of The Beatles. They are the best band ever. Powderfinger is the best modern rock band and the closest thing to the Beatles in my opinion. This album "Internationalist" is the best way of getting that through to anyone. To explain how Powderfinger is the closest thing to the Beatles since the Beatles, I'd have to just say it has that flow the Beatles possessed most prominently with "Abbey Road."
The album begins with the track "Hindley Street." It has a great vibe and some hip guitars. The "na na na's" are effectively used here too. "Belter" is well put to be said it is the '90s answer to "Helter Skelter." Whoa, even rhymes. Kicking drums from Cogsy here. Then comes the album's first single, "The Day You Come," a political tune that has a great vibe going for it as well. If you see the boys perform this live, it absolutely rocks. "Already Gone" follows and has a Beatles-esque feel to it. The verses are lazy, and the choruses rockin'. Quite a catchy song that ended up a single. Next in line is a song that is basically a Powderfinger staple, "Passenger." This song is brilliant and has excellent lyrics ("If you wanna be a passenger/climb aboard with me, we're leaving now/step outside and see another world/only if you wanna be a passenger"). Probably in the same category as a "Wonderwall" or "Yellow," at least in terms of the band's grandest. Going from "Passenger" to "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" and similarly aligned "Good-Day Ray," the disc takes a rocked-out turn. Very fun to listen as the radio dial is turned through what sounds like Nirvana and a PF b-side "Maxwell's Great Mistake" and into the ripping guitar line of "DWBLO." On to the next track, a somber number called "Trading Places." Excellent song with great vocals and arrangement. "Private Man" is next and this is a catchy song that takes a backseat on the album but is still well incorporated into the mix. The breakdown near the end a friend believes is exactly the "Shelby Woo" theme song. I never watched the Nickelodeon show, but that's what she thinks. "Celebrity Head" is another track that gets a bit lost in the shuffle, but fits well when listening to the entire album straight-through as should be done with an album like this. Track 11 is "Over My Head," an acoustic track done with vocals from guitarist Darren Middleton. Sounds quite a lot like Elliott Smith, just the whole vibe in general. "Capoicity" is the moment on the album where you become amazed at the disc and the entire feel of "Internationalist." It's tough to explain, but this song is quite grandiose but simple overall. The lyrics are beautiful ("Honesty is out of style/so hammer in the coffin nails" "never break our trust/until we're coffin dust"). And just listen for the whole thing to jam out on organ, guitars and drums when you think it may be over.
"Lemon Sunrise" finishes the album off with perfectly. "Do do do's" here and just a sweeping song that touches up what some think is the greatest Australian album ever it looks like. I wouldn't doubt it.
This is Powderfinger's greatest moment and it may be tough to top this. "Internationalist" surpasses any band near to PF's place in music. U2 couldn't make this in a million years. It's really sad the US didn't get a taste of this album upon release, or even the UK. This should be up there with the new classics, but no one but the Australians got to hear it. Powderfinger is the modern Beatles I tell you.