Any Old Love
+1 Records/MGM Distribution
Formed in 2000, Halfway could well be the best thing to ever come out of Rockhampton. The eight-piece country rock outfit capture the pop smarts of Brisbane with their own brand of twang. Any Old Love not only reunites Halfway member John Willsteed with fellow Go-Between Rob Forster in the production chair, but also returns the band to Central Queensland with these tales of desolation and despair from Barcaldine.
The songs on Any Old Love are based around the Shakespeare Hotel and the ex-jockey who dragged his family to this remote community. Honey I Like You is the most optimistic that Halfway get on this venture as they explore love and a healthy dose of luck. The pedal steel and pleasant harmonies don’t hurt a bit either.
Things turn sour soon after with Hard Life Loving You where the protagonist’s wife takes the kids and leaves. A tale that would be dour in other hands is given a touch of sweetness in the heartfelt and wholesome tones of the fine voiced Halfway. Dulcify – the racehorse who was favoured to win a Melbourne Cup but ended up first to take a bullet, is the inspiration for the hopeless stories that appear on Any Old Love.
Halfway are a band that should be better known outside of Brisbane than they currently are. With a touch of The Go-Betweens and melodic dexterity of The Welcome Mat thrown into the rich harmony and ample twang, there is plenty to like about Any Old Love.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
