Winter McQuinn and Friends 
It’s safe to say that Winter McQuinn has been a favorite around here. The Aussie songwriter has been at the helm of fellow faves Sunfruits while steadily building up a catalog of solo records that balance country air and ‘70s canyon folk. For his latest McQuinn swerves both the band and solo route for an album that weaves collaborations with locals into a quilt of quiet wonders. Still soaked in that ‘70s aura, the record builds an indispensable mixtape of gems that comes across like a kindred spirit to Winter’s American counterparts Drugdealer and Kate Bollinger. In the same fashion as Michael Collins’ collections, Where Are We Now? centers itself on McQuinn’s mahogany and macrame songwriting, while tapping into the trappings of a timeless radio station pulling something divine out of the ether and onto the dial.
Alongside Winter on this record are a host of familiar names, and ones that beg quick acquaintance. RSTB faves Hot Apple Band and Chet Sounds both surface on the record, adding in their own sun-faded appeal. Frequent foil Acacia Pip turns up on “Little Flowers,” following a full release at the end of last year with McQuinn that sorta serves as a primer for what’s to come on the full length. Standout single, “Walkin Through That Door” introduces Feign Jima, who had an excellent EP out a couple of years ago with McQuinn on guitar, but whose name might be unfamiliar outside Melbourne circles. Here’s hoping the record changes that. The biggest footprints on Where Are We Now? come from Dylan Young, better known as Way Dynamic, and Rudy Polacheck (Magic Bean Guillotine, Mature Themes) both of whom share quite a bit of stylistic crossover with McQuinn in their own works. Both add a velvet vocal touch to their offerings on the record. On his own McQuinn has always shone as one of the most magnetic voices of a newer Oz psych-pop crop, but the record truly shimmers due to his insistence on shining a light on others. Come for McQuinn’s pop perfect hooks, but walk away with at least a few more favorite artists in the process.