Tom Woodward does not make easy records, and ‘Come Come Karma’ is no exception. The acclaimed Australian folk-rock pioneer’s seventh studio album is out now on all major streaming platforms, a 12-track, 45-minute journey that shifts between baroque folk rock, lo-fi psychedelia, and country-tinged storytelling with the kind of restless intelligence that keeps listeners leaning in.
Produced by Adam Casey and recorded at True Vine Productions over the summer of 2024, the album finds optimism locked in a constant tango with nihilism, extremism, and self-grandiose helplessness. That sounds like a lot to carry, and Woodward makes it feel effortless. Fans of The Felice Brothers, Bob Dylan, or The War On Drugs will find plenty to sink into here.
Lead single “Phoney Messiah” sets the tone. Grunge-tinged and unsettling, the track arrives with a haunting video framing a nightmare as entertainment, a sharp critique of false prophets in the digital age. The song drew praise from Honk Magazine and Skope Magazine, and it earns every word of it. As the album’s centerpiece, it represents the surrounding tracks well without giving away everything the record has to offer.
‘Come Come Karma’ is the kind of album that rewards patience and punishes distraction. Woodward has built a body of work across seven records that consistently resists the obvious move, and this one continues that tradition with confidence.