Thornbird - Thornbird / self-titled

2022 CD release.

Vikki Thorn has been making music a long time. If you're a fan of her band The Waifs, you'll love her debut solo album ThornBird. But this is not a Waifs record.

As ThornBird, she doesn't stray too far from the music that's made her one of the country's most celebrated artists. Performing under this new solo nom de plume does somewhat sever expectations though, allowing Thorn more freedom to explore genres and moods.

After all, there's a lot more to her than the band she formed with her mates 30 years ago. The Waifs don't define her personally, and with this new record, they won't define her musically either.

"I wanted to make an album that has its own sway and swagger, untethered from a musical past that was defined by a couple of hippy kids traveling in a camper van and went on to have a hit song and win a couple of ARIAs," she said in a statement.

"It’s a good story and it still is a great journey. As a musician and a mother I’ve lived a few lives since, this collection of songs reflect that."

Her soulful voice is unsurprisingly at the centre of each song, and a lowkey but excellent band backs her up with an enviable sense of class.

The songs are bluesy at their core, with healthy dashes of Americana and roots thrown in, as Thorn sings about everything from her long stint living in the US to her closest friendships.

ThornBird doesn't feel like a complete reinvention, but it does exhibit the breadth of Thorn's talent in very pleasing fashion.

https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/featured-music/feature-albums1/thornbird-thornbird/13792558