Adam Cousens - Running over Rooftops (Album)
» Falls Festival 2007 - Marion Bay, Tas - December 31, 2007
There is something decidedly intimate about Adam Cousens’ sophomore short player, Running Over Rooftops.
It’s almost as if the Tasmanian troubadour is recounting these tales of love, loss and experience over a couple of quite beers at a mate’s BBQ.
There is not much to Cousens’ songs – and that is by no means a bad thing. A lot of this sense of intimacy stems from the fact that he has eschewed the usual accoutrements of the modern ‘roots musician’ (dobros, slide, djembe et al) for a refreshingly stripped back set where its just the vocals and the guitar at the fore – with just a sniff of piano and laconic drums in all the right places.
“Why can’t people just say what they mean”, sings Cousens on Speaking Your Own Voice – and that’s exactly what he does. There are no metaphorical hoops to jump through here – just some honest, straight –shooting lyrics with more than just a dab of wry humour and a dash of Woody Guthrie earthiness.
The eponymous track is definitely a stand-out here – a rollicking yet sweetly self-reflecting ditty that wound not be out of place in a Wes Anderson film. Yet, the EP’s closer List – the most downbeat number on the disc – comes a close second. The sombre fingerpicking and breathy vocals of the song bring back memories of Nick Drake’s seminal Thoughts of Mary Jane.
If Running Over Rooftops is anything to go by, Adam Cousens will definitely be one to watch out for.
