Much has been made of the precocious youth of Brisbane's latest exports, five teenage electropunk-poppers who flame with the energy and fire of the B-52s, the Runaways and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Their daftly buoyant debut single and its rampant follow-up, Leave It Alone, suggested the band were stuck in one gear, but this debut album indicates heaps more maturity and range. At its centre is Amandah Wilkinson's voice - an instrument that can do ballsy roar and sultry purr as brilliantly as it can handle the softer sentiments of Pantomine and Two for My Seconds, tracks that simmer with old-fashioned warmth. Violin and Farfisa organ add sweeter dimensions to the raucous guitar hooks and put a shine on the spiky, funny lyrics about dirty laundry, embarrassing yourself and feeling sick.
Contributor
Jude Rogers
Jude Rogers is a journalist, interviewer, arts critic and broadcaster.
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