The squawk of seagulls at the opening of Dan Kelly’s second album is a sure sign that he and his merry band of alpha males are taking us on a jaunty ride to sunny, breezy, faraway places. Drowning in the Fountain of Youth sees Kelly taking a walk on the weird (rather than wacky) side. The heady, radiofriendly pop ditties he’s known for are still there, together with his ability to roll clever lyrical flourishes off his tongue and make it sound easy, but what makes this album special is its willingness to step outside the conventions of mainstream Australian music.

Ash Miles is from Readings Carlton