Album Review: Hat Fitz & Cara - Wiley Ways

Produced by Aussie guitar legend Jeff Lang, Wiley Ways is an album that takes you from the Irish meadows to the Australian outback with its mishmash of hill-style country blues and old-time folk. It takes you deep into the soul of the married duo and pokes around in their well of stories and musical prowess. The husky, manly presence and style of Hat Fitz is equally matched with the soulful and intense voice and musical influences of Cara Robinson. Wiley Ways is a fun, energetic and ever-changing album, from the fast, fresh rhythm of the title track, Wiley Ways, to the slow, mournful Tarni Lee and the playful flute-driven Sine.

To set the tone for the record, Power is inspired by everything that makes you want to move. It slowly builds to an uplifting to and fro between the duo, sounding like a Pentecostal ceremony invaded by a bush shindig, featuring foot stomping and powerful claps. Company Underground is inspired by the early convict era with lyrics coming from a 1800s Frank Macnamara poem, the energetic tempo shift and gritty feel putting a modern twist to it. Go Daddy utilises the sound of Fife and Drum from centuries ago to tell the story of a child born into the world without a father, using a flute to capture the playful innocence of youth. Then Rusty River ends the album subtly, stripping the sounds back to just banjo, whistles and vocals, creating a settling mood that brings a vision of running rivers, grassy meadow, children playing and sunlight leaking through low-lying trees.