Album Review: Tom Woodward – Come Come Karma

Some albums have an eloquent yet unspoken vibe or presence, one you have to put into words yourself. Come Come Karma is one of those gems.

Tom Woodward and his band give off a real sense of ease with each other and the songs, comrades jamming or collaborators that seem to know instinctively what is required of them in each instance. Obviously, there’s more to making music than that, but from the opening notes of the down-home boogie of Termination Day, you can’t help but think that every track emerged fully formed.

Some of that is down to the vocals of Woodward himself and the way in which they click into a groove that is reminiscent of a young Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, or Gram Parsons. That, in turn, gives you an insight into the composition of Come Come Karma: the sounds of America’s west coast dallying with southern rock to form the basis of many of the songs of the LP.

Woodward and his compatriots – especially the harmonies, backing vocals, and duets provided by Katie Walsh – mould themselves around Woodward’s distinctive vocal style, one that seems older than his age, but boy, has he lived over the last few years.

He has walked the length of Australia’s east coast, endured a long spell in hospital, and been deported from America. Just one of those things can make you aware of the fragility of existence, but Woodward has utilised them as a catalyst in his music.

On Phoney Messiah, the lyrics drill into the nature of how media, politics, and belief have become a cash cow for swindlers, but is followed by If You Wanna Stay Alive which seems to look at those issues from the point of finding someone, or something, worth believing in.

It quickly becomes apparent on those tracks, but also the title track, just how inventive Come Come Karma is. Eschewing boundaries – genre and geographical – the title track has an Americana influence, something similar to The Saints’ later indie/rock duality also comes to the fore, but also a broken and baroque romanticism.

Woodward additionally has a wonderful way with a phrase, with song titles like Sails In Your Heart and Dancing On A Carousel working on your senses and imagination before you even hear their intoxicating brew of words and music.

And those words, those lyrics, the way they embody prose and poetry, more than mere words, are another aspect of what makes Come Come Karma an indispensable addition to the music collections those who like their rock with an eye and ear on the past, but both feet firmly in the events and relationships of the present.

Come Come Karma can be downloaded on Bandcamp and is streaming on Spotify. For artist news, check out Woodward’s Instagram and Facebook feeds.