Welcome To Wherever You Are (1992)
INXS' ‘Welcome to Wherever You Are’ is an album that defies easy categorization. This record represented a significant departure from the band's previous sound, incorporating elements of light grunge, world music, 60’s psychedelic rock, and even classical music into their signature brand of pop rock.
One of the most striking things about this album is its production. It is crafted to create a specific mood or atmosphere that is far removed from what we’ve gotten accustomed to with INXS. The album's use of unconventional instrumentation, such as that of the didgeridoo on "Communication" and a hurdy-gurdy on "Taste It” contribute to its eccentric nature. “Questions” also plays into this with its otherworldly sitar intro, serving more as a prologue for the album rather than an opening track.
The grunge explosion of the 90s affected all rock bands at the time, and it is obvious that INXS tried to evolve their sound with the times. While ‘Welcome to Wherever You Are’ is ambitious, I find it to be a “conforming” record with more than a few flaws. At times, the experimentation can feel a bit forced, and some of the tracks meander a bit too much without a clear sense of direction. "On My Way” and “Baby Don’t Cry” are prime examples of this, with their repetitive choruses and lack of a strong hooks.
‘Welcome to Wherever You Ar'e’ is a bold and innovative record that pushed INXS in new directions as opposed to the ‘Same Direction’ (Haha, anyone?). I applaud them for taking the risk of not putting out Kick 3.0 or playing it safe again like they did on ‘X’, but, this record is almost entirely skippable. I find it easier to listen to than the bands debut and sophomore records, but there really isn’t anything I want to go back to and listen to again. The album is missing the X-factor here, and we will see if they can rediscover that thing that made them special moving forward.
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Highlight Songs:
Strange Desire
Beautiful Girl
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Own it, Stream it, Forget about it?
I would pass on owning this record. If you’re doing a deep dive into INXS like I am, then the record is worth streaming for understanding the context of the band. That being said, if you are a more casual music listener, I would skip this record. That is unless you are into grunge-lite rock music with bland hooks.
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Overall Rating:
3 Stars
