This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO THEY PLAY? Folk. And rock. And pop. And blues. And any combination thereof.
WHERE ARE THEY FROM? Fronted by sibling singer-guitarists Vicki and Donna Simpson, The Waifs hail from Australia, though judging by their continuingn string of Canadian appearances — this is at least their third visit in as many years — they’re quite at home on the other side of the Equator and the International Date Line.
HOW DOES THIS SOUND? All over the place — in more ways than one. The 12-song Up All Night, their fouth album, offers an eclectic array of rootsy sounds and styles, reminiscent of everything from the boho jazziness of Rickie Lee Jones to the grrrly folk of Ani DiFranco to the honky-tonk country of Lucinda Williams to the tragic balladry of Bobbie Gentry. But it also sounds like the work of a band that have spent a whole lot of time on the road — London Still, Highway One and Since I’ve Been Around are just a few of the road songs that give this rootsy offering a rootless quality.
