John Butler Trio: Sunrise Over Sea

Reviewed by RUSSELL BAILLIE

Herald rating: * * *

The trio led by the politically minded dreadlocked Western Australian guitar virtuoso crosses the Tasman next weekend for New Zealand shows on the back of this, their third album.

The songs are a little less unwieldy than its predecessors and come with some ambitious arrangements, as heard on the string section on What You Want.

But this also shows Butler, while able to extract thrilling sounds from his amplified 11-string acoustic guitar (among other instruments), is still not much of a songwriter. He doesn't exactly shake off that Oz-answer-to-Ben Harper comparison here either, especially on ballads like Peaches & Cream, an ode to his new-born kid.

And the pedestrian lyrics of his more political numbers don't exactly mark him out as a natural heir to the likes of Midnight Oil or Paul Kelly. Still, you get the impression with this band that the feel's the thing - and here there's everything from acoustic-funk to reggae to a Celtic stomp near the end. The JB Trio don't lack for rootsy variety. Just memorable songs to set them apart.

(Jarrah/EMI)