Bonafide legends of the Australian music scene, Tex, Don and Charlie are somewhat an Australian super group with gravitas aplomb.
Comprised of Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon), Don Walker (Cold Chisel) and Charlie Owen, the trio first incarnated in 1993 and has since released an album every 12 years.
The formula has not changed much, despite the passing of their bassist Shane Walsh: Most of the album is made up of the sounds that Tex, Charlie and Don make together, comprising the quintessence of their respective personae in a stripped down manner with some songs backed by a rhythm section.
There is pathos.
Exquisite songwriting.
Story telling that aligns with the narrative of the protagonists.
Seediness. Characters existing on the fringes.
Authenticity.
Blues.
Loss.
Regret.
Sentimentality.
More than a few nods to the classic bands that inspired Tex, Don and Charlie’s oeuvre.
The works.
An album like good wine that is not intensely tannic, i.e. it does not need a lot of time to aerinate and unfold its distinctive flavours and nuances after the first few listens, which is testament to the honed craftsmanship behind it.
