Review 2

Music For Robots
(November 2006)

What is it about those damned Australians.? They pop up all over the globe and seem to have an unbridled spirit of adventure and indefatigable passion for travel. An island nation of sunny and curious travelers who are just as likely to be found on the steppes of Siberia or in the pubs of London.

It is just this essence of "Wanderlust" that I hope to discover on the new album by an Australian singer songwriter based in Paris, WalkTheTalk. An album written during three years of travels across China, the Middle East and Europe. Musical vignettes sketched out in travel diaries and finally laid to tape in France where many of the songs were recorded DIY style in the french country-side.

As per Halliday's travel blog "the recording experience was really enjoyable. there we were in a beautiful 'petite-chateau' for a few weeks able to create our own private, musical universe - with good french wine, a big open fireplace, comfy chairs, candles, jazz cigarettes - an idyllic and creative setting to let the muse free - we could take long walks in the afternoon, enjoy sumptuous dinners - then make sweet music all night long."

Wanderlust's stand out tracks are the rollicking "Long Way Home" and quieter, acoustic moments such as "Question Mark ?", "Moving On" and "Saturn Return" which suffuse tasteful electronic textures to the organic centre of the songs. Like the best travel writers, Halliday is able to weave his musical journey into pointed but personal narratives, writing the story of the landscape, the people and places, capturing all the weird personal bits that make his story distinctive.

For the past month WalktheTalk has opined its way into my iPod favorite's list. Yes, this is the perfect music for taking you to another place, inspiring the need to scratch the itch and tickle the travel bug. It is a big world out there and "Wanderlust" points the way.