It Doesn’t Look Good On Paper – Pivotal Point

It Doesn’t Look Good on Paper may have been a long time coming, but the debut release from this Canberra-based ensemble was well worth the wait.

The artistic collaboration between Alice Adriaanse and Brendon Houlahan was blossoming well before the release date of this album suggests but the fruits of their labour sat on a shelf for a number of years. Despite the best intentions and a real chemistry present in their songwriting, life got in the way. Four years and a few broken hearts after their first attempt at collaboration, the talented pair were drawn together again alongside an assortment of local musicians and the result is It Doesn’t Look Good on Paper. The self-deprecating title refers back to the long process of getting the album up and running and with a group of musicians who had never worked together and in many cases never even met before their first recording session.

Pushed along by Alice Adriaanse’s powerful and soulful voice, the first track Ready talks of being as ready as ever for whatever life can throw at you. How appropriate that the opening track does that very job for the entire album. What follows is a toe-tapping, funky journey through relationships and break-ups provided by Adriaanse and Houlahan’s perceptive and polished writing.

Adriaanse and Houlahan are joined by a litany of very talented musicians. As Houlahan points out in the album’s acknowledgements and cover notes the tightness and fluidity of the record is a testament to the ability of the contributing musicians. All in all It Doesn’t Look Good on Paper is a thoroughly enjoyable album and it won’t be long after it ends that you will be going back to listen again. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t look good on paper, it sounds great.