The Bedroom Philosopher -Songs From The 86 Tram

Thu 29th Jul, 2010 in Music Reviews

the third album from Melbourne via Canberra, Sydney and Tasmania comedian The Bedroom Philosopher ( Justin Heazlewood ) is a masterpiece of comedy rock.

Songs From The 86 Tram is essentially a collection of slightly fantasised, but worryingly accurate, stories of the people that are commonly found traveling on tram route that runs from Melbourne’s Docklands to the northern suburb of Bundoora. Sonically and lyrically excellent, the album displays a great understanding of Melbournians and their sometimes stereotypical ways.

Second single Northcote (So Hungover) is a great example of the his ability to assume the role of an array of characters. In under four minutes, Heazlewood pokes fun at the scenester/ yuppie culture of Northcote, band competitions, indepentent music, MySpace, selling out, cleaning agents, tight jeans and band names- Rage Against The Sewing Machine, anyone? ‘We’re all about anger and fashion.’ The song also features a series of puns and lyrics with double meanings, adding to the hilarity of the song and the equally hilarious video clip .

New Media repeats the mocking scenester culture; first single Tram Inspector is a sexed-up take on Melbourne’s most hated group of people and their oft-publicised severity, while Man On A Tram is another one-sided phone conversation and We Are Tramily unveils Heazlewood’s stupendously ridiculous rapping. We Are Tramily makes reference to John Farnham’s You’re The Voice, which Heazlewood once performed outside Flinders Street Station for nine hours in an ultimately failed attempt to promote a Melbourne gig.

Irish Girl and Sudanese serve as fine evidence of Heazlewood’s great ability to assume the role of many different characters, mindsets and voices. Sudanese is particularly comical, as Heazlewood transforms himself into a Sudanese migrant who moved to Footsgray to ‘escape a place of great poverty and violence, Collingwood.’ Heazlewood has an impeccable understanding of Melbourne’s workings, particularly its suburbs and their population’s respective socio-economic circumstances.

Adding to the class of this album is its sonic strength; it doesn’t simply rely on jokes. There are quite a few musical highlights, including the instrumental Song To Nod Off To and the climaxes of both Tram Inspector and Old Man At End, which is undoubtedly the best musical moment on the album.

As a comedy album with a defined concept, some of the jokes won’t be fully understood by those outside of Melbourne, or indeed, Melbourne’s northern suburbs. But Heazlewood’s gags have a wider scope, not necessarily geographically bound. Everyone should be able to connect to at least some of the features: Sudanese migrants aren’t only in Melbourne, nor are the Irish or public transport ticket inspectors, or the snobbish yuppies parodied on the brilliant lead single.

After years of hard work, a few now-separated bands (like the horribly named Urban Turban ) and many shifts in locale, it seems Songs From The 86 Tram is set to lift Heazlewood to the acclaim he deserves as he one of Melbourne’s premier comedians.