Ground Components - AnEye For A Brow, A ToothFor A Pick

Tue 3rd Oct, 2006 in Music Reviews

Sometimes you come across a band that is so intriguing you instantly feel compelled to trumpet their merits to the great unwashed.  However, every now and then, on the rarest of occasions, you stumble across a band with a distinctive sound that is so arresting (Sydneysiders i [love] Space being a prime example) you want them to forever remain your clandestine little find.  Melbourne act Ground Components would have certainly remained in the latter category were it not for my obligation to write this review.  So, I grudgingly introduce you to the fantastically manic world of Ground Components. 

Despite the fact that they’ve been around for four years, there’s a slapdash, lo-fi sound to their first full length release, the wonderfully titled, An Eye For A Brow, A Tooth For A Pick.  Lead Singer Joe McGuigan screams and wails with a voice that is so grating and discordant it sounds like a cat being strangled.  However, therein lies Ground Component’s appeal.  McGuigan’s spoken word, dissonant yawl may very well cause some damage to ear tissue but at the same time it is instantly engaging.

From the moment On Your Living Room Floor opens with the warm tones of the organ and the anthemic chorus, “die, die, die, on your living room floor” you realise that you’re listening to more than just another typically emblematic rock band. 

The funky bass and disjointed rapping of Sydney MC Macromantics (aka Romy Hoffman) on Coming In From All Angles seems like and odd pairing with Ground Components’ 60s folk rock but it’s one of those cases where the most implausible union often bears the most fruitful results.  Whether it was a happy case of serendipity that brought the two together nobody knows but it stands out as a highlight track on the album.

‘Hands in the Air’ continues the old school rock premise, replete with anthemic group chorus that is pure, distilled rock and roll.  The curious Fistful of Dallas brings to mind Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti western film but the analogies end with the introduction of one of the funkiest bass lines on the album and what appears to be the best use of a cowbell since Blue Oyster Cult’s Don’t Fear The Reaper.  Somewhere from within the din McGuigan yelps like a starving dog that has just had a schmacko dangled in front of its face.

The cover of Paul Kelly’s Our Sunshine, his bluegrass tribute to Ned Kelly, and Bob Dylan’s It’s Alright Ma I’m Only Bleeding are so shambolic they bear no resemblance to the originals.  Dylan’s folk tinged diatribe against our capitalistic mores has morphed into a 10 minute long ominous sounding bass and organ fuelled affair.  It’s not a bad interpretation but it lacks the fervour and indignation that made Dylan’s song so enthralling.  It seems like McGuigan spits out his words in one breath and the inaudibility of the lyrics makes the song lose its potency. 

The wistful and reflective As the Winter Months Approach slows the pace and conjures images of a couple of guys sitting on the back verandah, nursing a cold beer and simply celebrating good times. McGuigan flexes his vocal chords and sings for the first and only time on the album. However, just when you think these guys may be getting serious they segue into a hilarious conversation in funny voices that sums up their lo-fi, laid back approach to making music.

This is not an album for everybody but for those individuals seeking a respite from the cookie cutter rock bands clogging our charts Ground Components will not disappoint with their unpretentious style of folk rock.  They don’t wear the influences on their sleeve and it’s apparent in the distinctly individual brand of rock they’re peddling.

“I wouldn’t mind hearing something I can sink my teeth into”, McGuigan bemoans at the beginning of the album.  You may rest assured that Ground Components have certainly given us something meaty enough to sink our teeth into – only if you leave your pre-conceived notions of rock at the door.  Be careful though, despite its understated approach this is the kind of album that just might bite you back.