Hell City Glamours -Broken Glass, BeatlessHearts

Tue 2nd Aug, 2005 in Music Reviews

Broken Glass, Beatless Hearts is the new four-track EP from dirty, brash Sydney quartet Hell City Glamours. They’ve only been together for 18-odd months, but have already created quite the stir thanks to their rollicking live performances and acclaimed debut EP Les Infidels. In comparison, this release is even more boisterous and trashy (in a good way, in a good way) than Les Infidels and offers straightforward, no-bullshit, sleazy rock and roll.
Opener White Trash, Hot Love, is, in short, awesome. With energy in spades and sing-a-long, air-punching choruses to boot, it is a truly enjoyable track. Oscar McBlack’s vocals are throaty and cutting, and the guitar work provided by Mo Mayhem during the musical break transports you straight back to 1985.

On The Rocks approaches the proceedings from a different angle, with the saloon-bar piano sounds proving to be a novel inclusion.

Penultimate song My Hearts A Breakin’ is all about pummelled drums, dirty guitar riffs and great, gravelly vocals. The “whoa-oh” backing vocals in the chorus are fantastic and this song easily contests White Trash, Hot Love as being the best song on the EP. Oh, and there is a scorching guitar solo during the musical break, which, as we all know, is a welcome inclusion in any song.

Final song Broke Down is yet another swaggering rock tune. It is slower, but in the world of the Hell City Glamours, this by no means indicates that it isn’t as edgy as the fast-paced tracks.

This is a really, really good release and my only gripe is that there weren’t a couple more songs on it! Bring on the tour!