Wasted Wonder juxtaposes the innocence of Michael Brinkworth’s formative years against the realities of building a career as an independent musician in the 21st century. The album delves into navigating the struggles of a musician's life, how to make a living whilst remaining true to his source of inspiration, and the search for real love and a sense of connection. The restlessness has not yet been fully shaken off, the heartbreaks are as heavy as ever and contentment is as always, ever so out of reach, but blind hope keeps driving his soul throughout this 11-track sequence. Whether the genre leans more toward alternative-country, folk or indie rock production, his band comes across as a cohesive force intricately propelling each arrangement and serving perfectly as an extension of the authenticity in his songwriting.
Laid-back yet vibrant theme-defining leading single bathed in Brinkworth idiosyncrasies, Thick Skin opens the album with a fanfare that tips his hat to influences somewhere between Wilco and The Band, and a chorus that you won’t be able to get out of your head. Little Feat-esque Americana sing-along groover and guaranteed crowd-favourite Good Old Feeling and alt-country roots-rocker One More Time (Just For Fun) continue the upbeat energy before two deeper cuts, Liguria and Pub Singer’s Lament, displaying the reflexivity of Paul Kelly. The autobiographical banger that Brinkworth jokingly refers to as his “love letter to Neil Young”, Force of Nature, then shakes things up again to mark the halfway point.
Throughout the album Brinkworth establishes his maturity and a commanding ownership of the troubadour title, exemplified in the bittersweet centrepiece ballad, King Indecision and the standout stripped-down track and perhaps his saddest song to date, Falling In Love With A Broken Heart. With a scene-setting opening couplet that references the Kris Kristofferson-penned “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and eerily melancholic harmonica lines, he effortlessly pairs Waitsian “Closing Time” hymns with Springsteen’s “Nebraska” minimalism.
The album title comes from the band finale, tracked completely live, Foolin’ Around, in the lyric that reads, “you waste all your wonder when you’re younger, til one day you wonder where it’s all gone”, which sums up the contrast between the loss of and struggle to rekindle yesterday’s innocence against the weight of today’s reality. Wasted Wonder could not be more pertinent to the times we are living in today when it comes to the undervaluing of the arts. Brinkworth recorded the album before the pandemic swept across the globe, but by talking about his own experiences, he has unmasked the impact of these issues on artists like him, hitting a nerve with his intimate storytelling. In Brinkworth’s own words, he admits, “I went through a lot to write these songs; I lived with, gigged and toured many of them a lot before they were recorded; and the release of this album will finally allow myself to let them go.”
The final stripped-down track, The Path, acts as an epilogue and sounds like a long-lost Daniel Johnston-esque bootleg sketch of a song. It was recorded in one take straight to tape and wraps up this songwriter’s journey in beautifully bittersweet simplicity, full of mourning and everlasting hope. Michael Brinkworth’s Wasted Wonder will go down as a timeless album from an undeniable artist.
Berlin-based Australian alt-country songwriter Michael Brinkworth writes and sings in the tradition of the timeless greats. A tireless headliner across Europe, Australia and North America, Brinkworth’s backpack is stuffed with heartfelt, road-worn songs. Rhythmic country-guitar, entrancing harmonica and a soulful voice combine to take the listener on a journey and expose the rawness at the heart of his songwriting - vulnerable, sincere, and as honest as an old pair of traveller’s boots. Greywood Records released Brinkworth’s debut album Somewhere to Run From in 2017 and received critical acclaim from such renowned publications as Roadtracks and Lie in the Sound. Brinkworth’s upcoming second album, Wasted Wonder, is to be released in May 2021, following an 18-month solid roll-out of successful single and video releases. It was recorded with his full band lineup throughout 2018-2019 at The Famous Gold Watch Studios in Berlin and will be released on the studio’s eponymous label.
