Formed in Australia more than a decade ago, the Waifs earned double-platinum success in their native country with their 2003 album Up All Night. Thanks in part to the patronage of Bob Dylan, who gave them the support slot for his North American tour that same year, the trio has carved out a substantial following in the United States as well.
Sundirtwater, the band’s fifth studio album, should bring new fans to that base. Recorded in Nashville, the disc boasts the sort of spare, no-nonsense arrangements that often accompany strong songwriting. Tracks such as the blustery “How Many Miles” and the sinister “Sad Sailor Song” find the group rocking out in ramshackle fashion, with siblings Donna Simpson and Vikki Thorn offering up fittingly feisty vocals. “Sweetest Dream”, a ballad cut through with organ swirls and close background harmonies, sounds like Dusty Springfield tackling an Otis Redding song. And on the ukulele-and-clarinet closer “Feeling Sentimental”, the band crafts the sort of Tin Pan Alley revisitation that Sam Phillips has lately favored.
The album sags in the middle, with the centerpiece tracks “Get Me Some” and “Eternity” coming off as pedestrian and slight. But when the Waifs explore roots-rock’s outer fringes, as they often do, they shine.