A wonderful discovery for me in 2007 has been Sydney's Cuthbert & The Night Walkers. I have caught them live twice and it has been quite a pleasure each time. They bring a certain joy and happiness to every performance. Now, they have recently released their debut album "Love Needs Us". 12 songs of life and love, ecstasy and melancholy. Their approach is quite unique. For anyone who has seen this band live, you would know that there are many parts. At the moment there are 10 members, which includes the Night Walker Choir. Lead singer Richie leads the band with his vocals and mainly acoustic guitar, whilst other members provide instrumentation such as glockenspiel, tambourine and keyboards. The instrumentation is mainly in the background as this group is all about the vocals. Harmonies soar and wash over you, they sound great on record and even better live. The album itself is quite a surprise. There are the big sing a long anthems such as "Sex Is Not Everything", "Red Frogs" and "Newtown" which evoke a very Sydney setting and are quite joyous. But there are also more introspective numbers which create quite a impression. Such as the troubled "O Death" or the Gaelic tinged "Maggie's Health" with its folk leanings. My personal favourite is "Catholic Guilt", with its mournful piano and hushed tones. A really gorgeous song. This band has the ability to run the gamut of human emotions. Bursting joy to quiet sadness. A human experience, on record and in the live arena. Please check this band out.

Cuthbert & The Night Walkers will be launching "Love Needs Us" at Spectrum on December 7.

MP3: Red Frogs-Cuthbert & The Night Walkers