The politics of the heart make an almighty clatter on Expatriate’s stunning debut album.

Recorded in June 2006 at Robert Lang’s Seattle studios, Expatriate - Ben King (vocals, guitar), Damian Press (guitar/keyboards/production) and Chris Kollias (drums, percussion) - created their ‘self titled’ LP with the help of legendary producer ‘John Goodmanson’ (Wu Tang Clan, Blonde Redhead, Sleater Kinney, Hot Hot Heat).

Robert Lang Studios - a world away from Damian’s intimate Ginsberg Studios where their debut EP ‘Lovers le Strange’ was created – provided the canvas for the album. With the expansive size of the studio - which included an indoor basketball court - the band suddenly had the freedom to experiment with their sound and discover a new sonic landscape. Boundaries fell away as they worked with Goodmanson to bring up the guitars, dipping them in effects and painting a much bigger picture.

While ‘Lovers le Strange’ earned plaudits both locally and abroad, the band chose to work with Goodmanson in order to capture the rawness of their live shows, while still retaining strong production values. Given that within their first year of being they had already toured with the likes of The Presets, The Grates, Decoder Ring, Wolfmother and Simple Minds, there was definitely something to be said for the Expatriate live experience.

The change of scenery provided its own inspiration. Finding themselves in the American countryside 40 minutes drive from the music city of Seattle was like“being dropped into a bookmark for the American dream.” The vastness of the water and sky, the separation from loved ones and the isolation in the midst of suburbia all served to influence the recording.

This sense of alienation has always been a part of the band since its beginning. A band is an alliance and this one was built on common themes running through each member’s life. Ben lived much of his youth as an expatriate moving between Jakarta and Australia, and eventually returned home to Sydney to live. But what is home in this day and age? This feeling of alienation and displacement was a theme that also clicked with Chris, the son of migrant parents, a person of ‘the world’ through circumstance. Damian’s love for production - the light and shade of sound – and his ability to bring out the ‘ethereal’ in music connected with Ben and Chris. And so ‘Expatriate’ was formed, culminating in the creation of their debut EP. Dave Molland (Bass), long time touring bassist, joined the band upon their return from Seattle in September 2006.

The debut album was co-produced by Expatriate and Goodmanson provided the overall direction, as if the songs were cars on a night-lit highway with him guiding them into different lanes and providing the right exits at the right time.

From the album opener, Get Out, Give In, replete with snarling feedback, maximum guitars and a gripping intensity to the final track Are You Awake?, an epic track with a potent drum and bass groove that provokes with the refrain: Are you awake? Are you alive?, ‘Expatriate’ reveals a confidence and breadth in songwriting rarely heard on a debut record.

The end result is an album that has a sense of poetic urgency, as love is lost and found and a transient desperation takes hold.

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