Tea & Sympathy marks the second of two Powderfinger side projects to see release in 2005 – it follows on The Way Out, the debut album for guitarist Darren Middleton and his band Drag. It finds the Powderfinger frontman stepping out on his lonesome, with some major backing.

Produced by regular Powderfinger cohort Tchad Blake, who also engineered and mixed at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in the UK, make no mistake; Tea & Sympathy is a ‘big’ album. If Powderfinger ever do decide to call it a day, you can expect to hear a lot more solo work from Bernie. It’s straight down the road, but it’s bloody well done.

Like Drag’s debut, Tea & Sympathy is both different and similar to Powderfinger; the songs are similarly well-structured, intricately crafted, and built on solid foundations. The acoustica of much of Tea & Sympathy is more akin to something Kasey Chambers might come up with, an influence that’s especially pronounced on Fanning’s vocal tics throughout “Wish You Well”.

While some of the titles may indicate a bitterness – “Thrill is Gone”, “Yesterday’s Gone” – the songs are almost universally joyous, with mandolin infusing the opening “Thrill is Gone” to delightful effect. While some of the arrangements aren’t as tight as the Powderfinger albums – some tracks feature occasionally awkward outros – there’s a charming intimacy on offer here, with Fanning in fine voice throughout.