One of the best gifts anyone could ever give me is a great album, and the latest such ‘gift’ I received was this lesser-known gem of a record. GB3 – no relation to Britain at all – is in fact none other than one Glenn Bennie, formerly of Australian band The Underground Lovers and the musical mastermind behind this project. Allegedly written in a laundry and recorded in what can only be described as lo-fi environs, the end result is a rough diamond, its true worth reflected in the involvement of some of Bennie’s own musical heroes. The line-up may not spark off immediate reaction unless you’re into the indie side of rock, but if you are, the presence of Steve Kilbey (The Church), Sarah Blasko, Sianna Lee (Love Outside Andromeda), Stephen Cummings (The Sports) and the late Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens) to name but a few, should be enough to highlight this record’s intrinsic musical worth.

Released a few months back, Emptiness Is Our Business relies on a carefully layered guitar-meets-electronica sonic backdrop; a soundscape that morphs into individual pieces as each vocalist adds his or her personal timbre to every track. Starting out with Kilbey’s typically languid but effective delivery on Famished, the record’s general pace and direction has an eclectic vein. It flits from the delicate touch of Broken Sleep to the indented pop of Actress On A Mattress; from the punchier Gold Man and Tracing Circles In The Dark to the brittle, ethereal sway of Guillotine. Overall however, the record is more inclined towards a gentler rock ambience in the vein of like-minded ventures by the brilliant Never-Ending White Lights and This Mortal Coil!

Rating: 4

CD COURTESY OF WWW.LIB66.TK