Album Review: Jud Campbell - Testing Times

Brisbane singer-songwriter Jud Campbell cut his teeth out front of punk upstarts The Disables but his solo guise treads a different but well-trodden path altogether, a brand of acoustic-based country-infused folk-punk that drips pathos and rich imagery. Throughout debut mini-album, Testing Times, Campbell's whiskey-drenched vocals evoke those of Lucero frontman Ben Nichols — although his inherent Aussie inflection replaces the Southern twang — and the seven songs contain that same weary, downtrodden worldview and survivor's disposition as those of Nichols and fellow frontman-turned-troubadour Tim Barry.

Harmonica, piano and steel guitar are used sparsely to break things up — and tracks like King Of An Empty Town and Before You've Had Your Time use subtle studio touches to add depth — but the real strength of Testing Times lies in the songs themselves augmented by Campbell's heartfelt delivery. Grabbing attention and retaining it with such a sparse set-up requires real skill, and songs like Going Home and Don't Wake Me are belted out with a conviction far beyond bluster, while You're Sick Of The Sight Of Me offers a stoic vulnerability that packs a sad-but-hefty punch. This new direction is one that a few years ago you may not have predicted Campbell taking, but one that is so far serving him very well.