You Am I hit the the top of the Aussie charts with their sophomoric record Hi Fi Way, seeing the band embellish the punk and grunge driven formula established on their debut with elements of the frantic rhythm guitar of the Kinks and dynamic arrangements of the Who. With help from Sonic Youth axe-man Lee Ranaldo on production, the band opts for a stripped down, four-to-the-floor approach with much of the material, save for the occasional string overdub during tender moments from vocalist Tim Rogers. The whole album seems built around Rogers’ lyricism and rightfully so – his writing is incredibly relatable for such introspective subject matter, whether he’s singing about “personality pills and something red to swill” or washing his hands four thousand times a day, Rogers’ ability to make a listener nostalgic or heartbroken over something that they’ve never experienced is both a rare gift and the mark of a true craftsman. It isn’t easy to look in the mirror and write what you see – his unflinching honesty as a writer is the lynchpin of these songs.
Pete Whelan 