In celebration of their 25th anniversary, Australian folk trio
the Waifs offer up
Ironbark, an expansive 25-track double album comprised of new material. Arriving a year-and-a-half after their seventh album, 2015's
Beautiful You,
Ironbark reflects on the group's quarter-decade of successes, struggles, strife, and togetherness as sisters Donna Simpson and Vikki Thorn, along with co-bandleader Joshua Cunningham, collaborate and harmonize in the easy manner that has earned them such a large following over the years. Captured to tape by engineer James Newhouse, this set benefits from the spontaneity of having been recorded almost entirely in Cunningham's kitchen near Moruya, New South Wales. Having spent much of the past decade scattered around the globe -- Simpson and Thorn both live in the U.S. with Cunningham remaining in Australia -- the band saw this anniversary record as a chance to reconnect in familiar, laid-back surroundings and simply sing, strum, and write in a room together. A number of bright highlights came out of these sessions, like the hooky,
Fleetwood Mac-esque "Not the Lonely" and the strident "Don't You Ever Feel," both of which display the sisters' natural chemistry. Cunningham's title track is a warm, uplifting indie folk paean to the trio's durability, which features all three singers trading vocals back and forth. As a celebration of
the Waifs' key ingredients,
Ironbark hits it mark. ~ Timothy Monger