Imagine this: you are part of a major Australian band, on tour in the UK. You play your final date, wave all but one of your band-mates off at the airport and start looking forward to relaxing in London. Suddenly, you receive a call asking the band to do another show, but with only yourself and one other band member in town what do you do? This is the situation that Tim and Dean from Screamfeeder found themselves in last year. What did they do? Well, they formed a two-piece, called themselves the Whats and took it to the stage. For the next few weeks they spent time gigging around the UK and the US, before returning to Australia.
It is this spontaneity, intensity and enthusiasm that oozes out from this debut release, All Mouth and No Trousers. Make no mistake; this is genuine, original music like nothing Tim and Dean have done before. You could be forgiven for thinking that it would sound like a Screamfeeder rip-off, sans bass and keyboards, but if you did you would be really off the mark. You could also be forgiven for thinking that this album probably sounds like a cross-between the Black Keys, the Mess Hall and any other two-piece around at the moment, but the truth is that band are not about stereotypes or the blues. It is unashamedly bold, a little bit pop, genuinely rough and a lot of fun.
As you would expect with a two-piece, the songs are short and punchy. There is a certain minimalism that invades the songs, but it is something that adds to the overall atmosphere. The rhythm and melody is the only focus, and it is clear that the band relish the challenge and thrive in the new-found space they have created for themselves.
Opening with Oh, Honey, I Aint Made of Money (which will hopefully be picked up by radio stations as the first single) and Trouble it is a remarkable introduction. The songs burst with energy and reveal some accessible, erstwhile lyrics about money, getting on with everyone around you and joining the army.
Slumming bounces along and almost feels like a Clash song in parts (...almost) as it talks about bad hair and fashion and the fickleness of trends ”...don’t put the same saddle on the horse/pissing on the past wont get you ‘round the course”.
Uneducated Guess follows a more typical verse/chorus song structure, and even though there are only two instruments there is a tremendous depth to the song. The vocals and the guitar work around each other in the lead up to a great sing-a-long chorus.
Some of the songs, take Boys and Girls and Where Was I? for example, seem to be possessed by the spirit of the Melbourne rock and roll scene from years passed, and would not sound out of place on an Albert Records release.
The album has already shifted through several gears before it hits Always. A subtle, subdued track it highlights how well the Whats have embraced the concept of a two-piece and moulded it into a new form. However, the highlight is the last track. Ziney Anecdotal is a terrific song. It shimmers and sparkles in all the right places. The guitar chords seem to cascade around you during the chorus. The drums don’t merely mark time, they add colour and emphasis to the song.
This album is a reminder that honest, three chord rock can still be entertaining and engaging, and relaxed but passionate. Clearly, the Whats have stumbled across something right. It would be a shame if this were the band’s only release. It would be criminal if they didn’t tour on the back of the album.
humpanna
said ages ago