The Roys - The Roys

Thu 27th Jan, 2005 in Music Reviews

It’s un-Australian to not like Australian pop bands, you know. Not liking standing in a pub, drinking beer on a balmy summer’s evening, watching a band with catchy riffs and cute lyrics is on the same level of un-Australian-ness as not knowing how many cans of beer David Boon knocked back on his 1989 flight from Australia to England. (it’s 52, obviously).

Keeping in the spirit of Australia, pop music, and beer – Melbourne’s The Roys offer up an Aussie as self-titled slice of pub rock/pop which is almost impossible to dislike. For a start, two of the six tracks are about cars. There’s opener Car, all catchy hooks and the excitement of “we’ve got a car!” from vocalist Felix Juliff. And then there’s Refuel, containing the fantastic pick-up line of “refuel my heart, just like you’ve always wanted to.”

Musically, the band trods on the well-worn inoffensive, accessible guitar-driven territory as now-defunct Melbourne boys Klinger, Candle Records’ ace Ruck Rover and Perth’s The Fergusons (as well as Eskimo Joe before, like, they got all serious’n’stuff). It’s all designed to put a smile on your face.

The tracks saunter along, never taking off the ground in an almighty rock’n’roll way, but rather defying you to not nod your head along. Who Got What Mamma Said? is one of the catchier tracks here and has the sort of sing-a-long appeal that radio loves.

On Till Next Time the band’s acknowledged harmony-laden influences of Big Star and Elvis Costello are prominent. Personal favourite track Paid has a swaggering guitar line, great solo, and tells the story of the man

who loved his money and suits
he didn’t have money, wasn’t born with a loot
so he got himself a job, he got a crap job
selling crap to crappy people.

The tempo slows down slightly for Refuel, before re-picking up the pace for closer Haile Bop, with a You Am I-esque riff over which Juliff drawls “allllright.” The songs’ stop-start chorus and howls of “c’mon!” would render it ideal in a live environment. Lyrically, the band is concerned with cars, girls, money, and that annoying “rich kid at school.” The production is top-notch – recorded at Melbourne’s True Form Studios with Neil Gray (who has recorded, amongst other things, Klinger’s Acne & Peroxide/Geography double-A side single), you could not hope for better production on a local release.

Sure, none of it will change your life. But pop music rarely does, and who cares? What The Roys dish up is great, catchy, undeniably Aussie pop. Now, a bit of quiet, please, the cricket’s on TV.