The Guild League

Whether longing for escape, en route to an as-yet-unexplored locale, or pining for the comforts of home, few songwriters understand the romantic allure of travel as well as Tali White. Made piecemeal when on leave from cult Australian trio the Lucksmiths, White lived out his concept for Private Transport, recording this 13-part ode to wanderlust around the world with far-flung friends of the international pop underground (Aislers Set, Poundsign, the Fairways, scores yet more obscure). Remarkably, the result is as cohesive and consistent as a meticulously planned band effort, its fleet-footed rhythms and gently swaggering melodies furthering the antipodean reputation for indefinably superior jangle-pop (think of it as a younger, more impulsive companion to the Go-Betweens’ new charmer). Most impressive is White’s exceptional eye for everyday details: "The Neatest Hand” masterfully dissects the incomparable value of hand-written letters, while "Siamese Couplets” offers a warts-and-all account of a Bangkok tour in the groundbreaking form of indie-hip-hop.