Hully Gully

Written and recorded in between solo tours, Cold Chisel reunion shows and while Don Walker worked on his first book Shots, Hully Gully inhabits a familiar musical space for the veteran songwriter – blues, rockabilly and country.

That Walker, author of such classics as “Flame Trees” and “Khe Sanh”, has put together another well-crafted album is not surprising. What is notable, however, is the sense of vitality that runs through it.

Recorded ‘off the cuff’ with his backing band The Suave Fucks, Hully Gully features minimal overdubs and an altogether live feel. The arrangements are unobtrusive and as a result Walker’s wry storytelling is brought to the forefront.

The down and dirty title track – a bluesy, bar room number – sets the tone with its sardonic opening line: “They try to tell you dreams come true, they lie ’til you’re black and blue.”

Themes of escape, adventure and transit are ever-present. The measured pop of “Young Girls” is a tale of lovers who “drive up north”, while on the country-tinged ballad “Fishing”, Walker croons, “I’m happy, as long as I’ve got a road, and a line in my hand.”

The wonder of this album is all there in Hully Gully’s most infectious moment, the momentous blues jam “Everybody”. Each verse is a new punchline – “Everybody wants to be an individual, and everybody else does too …” – while the refrain cuts straight to the heart:“All I want to be, is idiot free, and outta here with you.”

Surely, this is one of the finest examples of old-school songwriting you will encounter this year.