April Uprising is the follow up to triple platinum selling album Grand National but the origins of the title is not connected to the world famous horse race at all. It’s as unlikely as you’re likely to find anywhere as after Bulter took part in the Australian version of the TV show ‘Who Do You Think You Are’, he traced the roots of his ancestors and found out some of them were caught up in the Bulgarian ‘April Uprising’ of 1876!

To be honest, from the cover I was expecting some roots reggae! Shows how much I know about this guy who has sold more than 800,000 CDs in Australia; not bad considering that in 1998 he was busking in Freemantle.

With the UK election coming up soon, I like the lyrics of the opener ‘Revolution’ but by the fourth track in, ‘I’d Do Anything’, I was getting lost in the Green Day-ness of it; particularly the single ‘Come On Now’ that’s pop-rock-surfer-punk.

But hang on, ‘Ragged Mile’ features some finger pickin’ banjo (that’d sit nicely on this months’ Songlines cover CD) and ‘Johnny’s Gone’ gets a bit rootsy (but for the strange outro).

Apparently they recorded 22 tracks in Freemantle before they whittled them don’t to the 15 that made the album and judging by the range of rock-genres, they’ve got a pretty balance live show all in one album here. This is quite fortunate as they are starting a short UK tour to coincide with the album release.

Best of the set for me is ‘Take Me’ that’s successfully mixes up heavy rock on “trippy” steel drum of all things, the string laden love song ‘Fool For You’ and the dreamy closer, ‘Star Is Born’ (first Tonbruket and now this, the slide guitar is making a comeback?)

I suppose that after 3 years since the last album and with a new line-up behind him (Melbourne musician Nicky Bomba on drums and percussion and bassist Byron Luiters from Sydney outfit Ray Mann Three), as a band they are still finding their musical feet so to speak but in terms of Because Music, they are happily as eclectic as the other leading roster lights of Amadou et Mariam, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Justice and Manu Chao!

Forthcoming Gigs:
Thurs 8th April Dublin Olympia - £20.00 www.ticketmaster.ie
Friday 9th April 02 Glasgow Academy - £16.50 www.gigsinscotland.com 08444 999 990
Saturday 10th April Manchester Academy - £16.86 www.gigsandtours.com 0161 832 1111
Monday 12th April Southampton Guildhall, West Marlands Road, Civic Centre
Southampton SO14 7LP - £16.86 Doors open at 19:00, show starts at 19:30.
www.gigsandtours.com 02380 632 601
Wed 14th April London HMV Hammersmith Apollo - £21.75 www.gigsandtours.com 0844 844 4748

Reviewed: John Butler Trio - April Uprising (Because/Jarrah) Release date: 5th April 2010
Track listings:
1. Revolution (5:03)
2. One Way Road (3:04)
3. C’mon Now (2:41)
4. I’d Do Anything (3:20)
5. Ragged Mile (3:56)
6. Johnny’s Gone (4:54)
7. Close To You (3:51)
8. Don’t Wanna See Your Face (2:42)
9. Take Me (5:00)
10. Fool For You (5:07)
11. To Look Like You (4:19)
12. Steal It (3:41)
13. Mystery Man (3:54)
14. Gonna Be A Long Time (3:44)
15. A Star Is Born (4:33)

Links:
www.myspace.com/johnbutlertrio
www.johnbultertrio.com
www.johnbultertrio.fr
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Uprising - Album
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Uprising
www.songlines.co.uk Issue 67 April/May 2010 - Win A Banjo!