It has been two years since Start, Benjamin Faust’s debut of inventive, quirky, prerecorded sound product. Now he’s back with his sophomore effort, Walkabout – an introspective album about wandering the limits of your world, whether it is the physical, mental, or spiritual.

This isn’t to say that Faust has lost his edge on this album, which he insists, “Isn’t just for Australians.” Indeed, this new collection of songs is a welcome second helping of quirky lo-fi piano pop that defies cookie-cutter convention in a world that has cut back on dough.

Building on the piano-based foundation of his debut, Faust stretches out musically, adding more sounds to his carefully crafted musicscape, with styles ranging from the medieval to 50’s rock and roll, along with his traditional piano pop. He also wanders a wide range of subject matter, sharing his memories of the end of the cold war, pondering the night sky, and discussing the view from his downtown apartment, where he wrote many of the songs on the new album.

With Walkabout, Faust has created an album that builds on the strength of his 2007 debut – and then takes it to the next level. He may be wandering the world of musical textures and lyrical subject matter, but each of the ten tracks on Walkabout hit close to home. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.