The first thing that grabs you when listening to Crowded House's fourth and newest release Together Alone is that distinct Aussie sound you can't put your finger on. A seamless answer to their last endeavor, Woodface, and the culmination of their 18-month non-stop tour, the lads from down-under have added a few well chosen artistic spikes throughout. Although their style changes from song to song, Together Alone smoothly swoops from distorted electric to mellow acoustic while some parts are an amorphous mix.

Aside from using a pack of log drummers from Auckland's Cook Island community or the Waka Hula Mauri Choir, and brass band in the swampy sounding opener "Kare Kare" and the title track, "Together Alone." "Private Universe" is a finely meshed tune that could be the album's big winner.

Together Alone is definitely worth a bunch of spins.

Reviewer:  Tom Elliott, courtesy of Flash Magazine.