Album Review: Fanny Lumsden - Traditions
Fanny Lumsden is an artist of varying shades. A euphoric stage show hellbent on loosening the shackles of any sedentary observer contrasts with a thoughtful recording artist filing her thoughts through considered songs. This twin approach is doing no harm as her stock is particularly growing in Europe where the gigs prove an unforgettable experience, festival bookings are becoming sought after and album awareness is growing. 2023s HEY DAWN was an introduction overseas for many, though Lumsden is an established award winning artist in her native Australia. The upward trajectory is set to continue now TRADITIONS lays out its worth for keen observers to savour.
Country trappings adorn Fanny Lumsden’s work through her rural lifestyle and perceptive writing dealing in observational emotion. The soundtrack blends minor roots instrumentation with layers of pop/rock sensibility and her songs follow the trail of the 90s/00s country mainstream when women broke the ceiling. The latest album shores up the initial awareness with eleven well-shaped songs trying to make sense of the past and present, and how they relate. Lumsden writes in a simple style likely calling on many aspects of reality leaving the listener with an air of clarity to what is being mulled over. Appealing hooks and sweet melodies smooth the interaction and each plays adds an extra layer of satisfaction.
Although the recording team bolster the product, the output comes over as the sole domain of Lumsden apart from one track where she duets with fellow Aussie icon Paul Kelly. His rich brogue complements her slightly refiner one on ‘By the River’, a track where Lumsden proudly extols a passion for the outdoor environment. The pair have shared stages in a headline/support capacity but this equal footing reveals a cordial relationship between artists of varying stature.
This track is one of a trio making early waves, though you’ll find others growing over time. River also gets a mention in the nostalgia strewn ‘Chest First’, where proud thoughts inform the writing and a strong leaning towards recollection sets the tone. ‘Car Crash’ possesses a twin appeal in raising the complexity of the writing through subtle line evolution and a chorus neatly knitting together an enduring tune. Luck, fortune, fate and chance, all link a thread of stories in a three-minute song.
The album benefits by an opening track setting the scene and a closing one wrapping things up. Title track ‘Traditions’ opens the page on trying to make sense of what we hold dear, while 40-minutes later the stripped back and almost naked ‘Difficult Woman’ arrives at acceptance. The perfect pathway into the final track is the penultimate song ‘Monsters and Magpies’ where a strong case for contentment is made alongside another memorable chorus useful for aiding a listenable experience.
Earlier in the album, changing attitudes with a generational slant are explored in ‘Mothers Eyes’. An unambiguous writing approach begins to take shape, which expands later in ‘Salt of the Earth’. This also embraces a rural outlook with pride, priority, reliability and respect implied in the writing. The album glides towards its midpoint in the philosophical company of ‘God or Stars’ where a freedom to choose your own path of comfort is expressed.
The remaining two tracks are far from uninteresting. While the instrumentation tends to bow to the lyrics and tunes, the ears are piqued by the folky overture to ‘Sweet Hurt’ where fiddle prominently features and banjo can be slightly detected. This sound far from defines Fanny Lumsden but its placement suggests a back burner to be explored. ‘Summer Mountain Moon’ is the album grower. The initially irritating contrived backbeat eventually subsides to reveal a staunchly personal song dealing with tentative steps in the embryonic stage of a relationship. A song to savour in full bloom.
No doubt the remainder of 2026 and a good chunk of 2027 will see Fanny Lumsden energetically connecting with audiences across the continents. The other lock in is that TRADITIONS has re-enforced the foundations of seriously contemplative songwriter unafraid to think deep and reflect in a strong lyrical presence. Entertainment and education are ripe ingredients.
