Again

With their disgruntled mix of surf/garage rock, punk, indie pop, and pub rock, and an engaging lead singer in Maisie Everett, Melbourne four-piece the Belair Lip Bombs were picked up by Third Man Records following the release of their self-recorded debut album. Now with the support of a label, the band worked with outside producers for the first time, co-producing the follow-up with Nao Anzai (the Teskey Brothers), and Joe White (Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever). Also featuring new drummer Daniel Devlin (Delivery), the resulting sophomore LP, Again, presents a slightly more polished version of their angsty sound, but they still have enough angles and distortion to help give voice to grievances. The cautionary "Dont Let Them Tell You (Its Fair)," for instance, plays with multiple contrasting guitar tones and an invigorated bassline on an otherwise measured entry that warns rather than pleads with a younger version of Everett. The driving "Hey You" adds ringing guitars onto a synth loop as components of a rousing, shimmery entry that does plead ("It isn’t fair/If I have to tell you when I need you there"). In contrast, spiky riffs populate "If Youve Got the Time" and "Again and Again," a song that suggests that the albums title might refer to "making the same mistakes again and again" rather than to a duplication of their debut. In fact, Agains relatively more streamlined indie rock and reflective sensibility may set it apart from their previous work more than any studio varnish, although it all works together to take a more consistent step forward on their proper label debut. ~ Marcy Donelson

ジャック・ホワイトのレーベルが迎え入れた初のオーストラリア出身バンドなのだそうだ。まずは紅一点メンバー、メイジー・エヴェレットの奔放な歌声を聴いてほしい。80年代のUKロックを彷彿とさせる演奏はソリッドかつダイナミックなギター・プレイで差を付ける。キャッチーな曲作りも大きな魅力だろう。セカンド・アルバムにして早くも器の大きさを見せつけている。
bounce (C)山口智男