Universal Music Australia
2007
Dream Days At The Hotel Existence
About This Album
The sixth studio effort from Powderfinger sees them largely revisit the sound of their Internationalist album, leaving behind much of the glam and swagger of 2003's Vulture Street. Despite the recruitment of Rob Schnapf (Beck, the Vines, Elliott Smith) in favor of three-time Powderfinger producer Nick DiDia, this appears to be a deliberate move to capture the magic and success of the late '90s. Coming together for their first album in four years, the Brisbane quartet chose to work in Los Angeles, except for "Black Tears," which was recorded locally. Partly inspired by the Palm Island death-in-custody trial of Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, the song was garnering attention before the album's release, due to fears it could prejudice the proceedings. The band sought legal advice on the matter and changed lyrics of the second verse to "remove even the slightest suggestion of prejudice," according to lead vocalist Bernard Fanning. Controversy and hype aside, "Black Tears" is a stark, haunting piece about the injustices suffered by Aboriginal people ("There's blood on all our hands and blood on our boots/And black tears on a red rock"), almost like a bleak daughter of Goanna's "Solid Rock.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8)

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