THERE are no second acts in American lives but that nugget clearly never made it to Fremantle, where Kav Temperley is in career-best form.
The Eskimo Joe front man is on the verge of releasing his debut solo LP, All Your Devotion, and is embarking on a national tour to celebrate.
The record is a triumph, perhaps surpassing anything Temperley achieved with his band.
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READ NOWIt’s an album about new love, the delicious anxiety of the honeymoon phase and the hungers that go with it.
The almost-title track Devotion may be the first genuine seduction anthem of Temperley’s career.
He said he felt liberated by the prospect of his first solo album, which is reflected in the lyrical themes.
“I think when you’re representing two other people, you can’t be too intense and personal, or too seductive and sexy,” he said.
“This album a lot of the time was me alone in the room, or me with my partner in the room.
“It’s a love letter to her.”
Sonically the album is sparse, a soothing blend of 20th and 21st century sounds.
It’s littered with hooks and high points – Queen of my Heart, What is it Worth, Sober and new single Polyanna chief among them.
“I wanted to create a record that sounded modern but sounded like all my favourite records from the early ’70s,” Temperley said.
“It was all about having a vision.
“The record itself should read like a good book, it should have a story arc, highs and lows and all the rest of it.”
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Kav Temperley All Your Devotion Tour
Where: Mojos, Fremantle
When: Saturday October 27 at 8pm
Tickets: www.tickets.oztix.com.au