Abbe May - Design Desire

Mon 8th Aug, 2011 in Music Reviews

There’s no doubt this album will blow your mind right from the second you hit play. Abbe May rocks hard and fast on her third album, before switching gears and serving an intense and highly personal selection of tracks that leave us with no choice but to sit up and pay attention.

Title track Design Desire launches straight into a rock and roll onslaught that is worthy of a PJ Harvey album and has, unexpectedly, some of the best riffs from a female Australian artist in recent years.

Mammalian Locomotion is a slow and sexy masterpiece that not only captivates the ears, but sends tantalizing shivers down your spine. The vocals are eerie and the bass is deep, it’s just a shame it doesn’t go for longer. No Sleep Tonight is reminiscent of Portishead and simply entrances the mind. It leaves you wanting much much more, what with the slide effects and a mean blues sound. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, May delivers Feeling Like A Man, Looking Like A Woman with simple lyrics but a melody that screams sensuality.

It would be so easy to shower this album with more praise, but that would ruin all the surprises. Once this secret is out, it’s going to be huge!