Customer Reviews

Sink Or Swim

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was fortunate enough to see the Waifs' dynamic set at the Newport Folk Festival in 2001, and since then, this little gem of an album is never far from my stereo. Musically, it has that jangly guitar and harmonica sound of the indigo girls first album "Strange Fire" - bright, acoustic, and harmony-driven. And I sometimes hear a hint of early Michelle Shocked in their vocal inflections, but these are comments more on style: the Waifs are in no way derivative. See them live if you can; their energetic stage presence is refreshing in the face of so many artists who seem to have forgotten why they got into the business in the first place. They're doing a lot more U.S. shows these days, and increased exposure means this great band won't be a secret here for long.

I was introduced to this Australian band at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in May of 2003, and I was blown away. I'd heard they were opening up for Bob Dylan on his tour, and I must confess I was a little turned off, because I wanted to hear new, exciting music (Bob, please forgive me the stereotype! You were integral to my formation!), and didn't make a point to see them. But because they were performing just ahead of a band I did want to see at Jazz Fest, I ended up hearing about an hour of their set and immediately fell in love!!! I swear they have made an impression on me that will last a lifetime. Nothing like I expected. Their music is real, musically diverse and challenging, fun and upbeat as well as dark and brooding, and, in sum, everything you could expect from a group of bona-fide musicians/singer/songwriters. You must buy this CD. HOWEVER, you must also buy their "Up All Night," if for no other reason than to hear the song "Love Serenade." I listen to and see a lot of music, and I'm telling you that this song is one of my all-time favorites. I made my guitar instructor figure it out so he could teach me to play it, and even after playing it 100 times I still love it. These kids are real, they're good, and they're talented. If Bob Dylan wanted them, you should too!

I saw the WAIFS play last weekend at the Grass Valley Music Festival in northern California and was completely blown away by their lively stage presence, their fantastic musicianship and their great songs. I bought the SINK OR SWIM CD from them at the festival and have been listening to it all week. The CD definitely captures their sound and energy. The songs are great, the arrangements, harmonies and musicianship are almost flawless. These folks have a solid sound with folk/rock roots, a bluesy influence and modern lyrics. This is a great CD (their first in the US, their third in Australia) and a great collection of songs from a soon to be well known Australian band. Enjoy. I know I do.

If you like a little bit of country blues, with some fine guitar playing complimented by some great harmonica topped with wonderful harmonies then this is the album for you.
The Waifs are a no nonsense happy band that can rock with the best of them but can also tug at your heart with their well written ballads. The simple fact is -they are going to be hugely popular - they have been working all over the US,UK and Australia and picking up fans wholesale. Sink or Swim is a fine introduction to your next favourite band. Don't put the experience off - you'll only curse yourself later.

Most interested folks have heard Lighthouse from the most recent album Up All Night. I mentioned the band to an office mate who had Sink or Swim, and I gave a listen. I immediately really liked this album. Fresh, refreshing, eclectic, mostly acoustic, mostly really up songs. This is a really listenable collection of songs from 3 young people from Oz Down Under. Their perspectives, accents, all are really different from what we hear in the US, which makes it more interesting. These three are really good musicians and they write some interesting tunes. I think this is much more fun to listen to than Up All Night, which disappointed me after hearing Sink or Swim. If you are familiar with Lighthouse and/or Up All Night and like that album, you should get this one.

This is a brilliant recording through and through. For their youth, these three write remarkably mature lyrics, and the music is consistently excellent. Someone wrote below that the CD is front-loaded, and I couldn't disagree more. Musically, nearly every song is just perfect, though "Danger" is perhaps a little bland, and lyrically there are deeply moving high points from that front end (Haircut) well into the second half (e.g. the gut-wrenching "Service Fee"). There are elements of folk, rock, jazz, country and more here. I'm not sure it fits a genre, but this is very real, fresh music. Someone below criticized the songwriting by Josh Cunningham, and I think that was a bit off-base. He can get right to the heart of the matter about feelings about home (When I Die), and can write great music even when his lyrics are a bit pedantic (Lies) or sentimental (Brief History, on which he and the band sound like a reincarnated acoustic Velvet Underground). This is just a great listen. I may not have a lot to add to what's below, but this is one of the best CD's I've heard in the last year, and wanted to chime in with another good review. It's a great listen; you won't be disappointed.

This is a really wonderful CD. The acoustic style is an interesting counterbalance to some of the rather intense lyrics of some of these songs. It's kind of like Alanis Morrisette's lyrics, but it lacks the odd word choices to "make that rhyme." This is to say, the lyrics are thought-provoking, though, there's a lot less whining!

It makes a few Aussie references, as one would expect from an Aussie band, but sounds very Irish in style. You find yourself surrounded on a regular basis in a sea of spirit and thought as your ears bask in this music.

If you like Alanis Morrisette, but wish she was Irish (and less whiny), you'd for sure like this. Fans of Irish-y or acoustical style music, would also enjoy this.

Thus far, "Sink or Swim" is my least favorite album from The Waifs, but that isn't all that difficult considering I have enjoyed the four albums I have heard from them. This is their third album, and it was released in June of 2000 in Australia. They are a bit more adventurous with their sound on this CD as opposed to their first two CDs, which is a good thing. Where the album comes up short is in some of the lyrics which come across as awkward at times.

The album opens with "The Waitress", a very strong piece with a unique sound. This is followed by "Lies", another good piece with a more typical sound for The Waifs. Next up is "Danger" a piece where the soft melodic tune doesn't seem to match the lyric all that well, but still a nice track. "Without You" is where I start to feel the album lags a bit. I admit I am spoiled by having heard the version of "Without You" that appears on "Sun Dirt Water", and maybe I would have preferred this version if I heard it first, but I don't think so. This version has a more strident feel to it, and that doesn't suit it as well. "The Haircut" is next, and this is one of the pieces that has a lyric which seems awkward to me.

"Love Serenade" is a nice piece with a positive feel. "Taken" is next, another decent song, but not one which really grabs the ear. "Service Fee" is another example of a song with an odd lyric which made me feel that they were really reaching to find something to say. The idea that the answer to an abusive relation is the threat of charging a service fee just didn't work for me, but the song does have a nice tune. "A Brief History" is an unusual piece, where Josh recites a brief history of the group. "When I Die" is a song with a country-western feel. "Sink or Swim" is another song which is far from standard, but I found that it wasn't as good as some of the other chances that they have taken in stretching their overall sound.

The Waifs are Josh Cunningham (acoustic & electric guitars, mandolin, vocals); Donna Simpson (acoustic guitar, vocals); Vikki Simpson (at the time of the album, and now Vikki Thom) (acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica); and with Ben Franz (electric & double bass); David Ross Macdonald (drums & percussion). There are numerous guest musicians on this album, including Dave Macdonald (drums, Percussion, Banjo, vocals), Stewart Speed (electric and double bass), Matt Walker (lap steel guitar), Jen Anderson (violin), Phil Moriarty (clarinet), Anita Quayle (cello), and Steven Teakle (accordian).

The Waifs' latest offering "Sink or Swim" an extremely well written, diverse collection of acoustic-based songs from a great Australian band. Both the vocal and instrumental arrangement are tight and tasteful, resulting in a very listenable CD. Starting out with "The Waitress", a catchy little ditty that can't help but make you smile, followed by the cynical "Lies" that has definite celtic influences, nearly the entire CD is simply a joy to listen to. "Danger" has an early Indigo Girls feel without all the social scolding crap that they devolved into. "Without You" is a nice piece of pop craft that aims towards a top 40 audience. "The Haircut" is an introspective song with some hilarious lyrics (the masturbation references would normally be out of place, but these are actually cute without being vulgar). "Love Serenade" is a happy love song reminiscent of Nora Jones' "Little Willies" style. You can almost hear them smile while their singing it. "Taken" is a little uneven, but the instrumental hook during the verses is very infectious. "Service Fee" is a melancholy ballad about a lost love that is both pretty and poignant. "A Brief History", a spoken track, is probably the low point of the CD. Although the backing instrumental track is adequate, the song just seems out of place on an otherwise wonderful CD. "When I Die" is a sweet country ballad about the pull we all feel to return to our roots, like salmon, as our ends approach. This song should be covered by every Americana group out there. Finally, the CD's title track is a delightful gospel-tinged piece of coutry blues that would have been at home on Jorma Kaukonen's Blue Country Heart CD. This CD is my first exposure to the Waifs, and I plan to get my hands on some more. Simply a great pop-folk album with a lot of diversity and great musicianship. Buy it NOW!

I got into this band through Xavier Rudd's Triple J radio block hour mixed tape gig show thing. Anyway...they've been out for quite a while so Im definetly not laying any sort of ground work for them. Point is their good, really good. Their fame down under is pretty large but I think their pretty unknown here in the states. Which is too bad, because they definetly have talent. Not just talent but some serouisly skill.