Released today (September 28) the eighth album from brilliant Australian rock trio The Living End. 'Wunderbar' is available to listen to and watch via YouTube below.
If you enjoy any of the songs featured here, we encourage you to support the artists by purchasing their music from your local record shop, or through online retailers.
From a personal point of view, one of music's great mysteries is why The Living End have never become that well-known over here in the UK. After hearing them two decades ago, I have been a fan and champion of their music ever since. Another mystery is how this band keep on delivering the goods over 20 years after their debut. Every time I hear of a new Living End album being released, I always think that it couldn't beat the previous ones and that this group surely have to run out of steam at some point. But they never have. And that quality is continued on the diverse 'Wunderbar'.
The vibrant 'Don't Lose It' makes for an awesome opener, made for loudly soundtracking journeys on the freeway; uplifting, energising and thoroughly infectious. 'Not Like All The Other Boys' delivers defiance along with a top notch chorus, and the standout 'Otherside' is another glorious moment that revels in the sound of the open road, melodically not unlike a collision between The Buggles' 'Video Killed The Radio Star' and Marc Cohn's 'Walking In Memphis', along with hints of that other drivetime rock staple 'Boys Of Summer'. In contrast, the trio return to their psychobilly punk roots on the brutal 'Death Of The American Dream', which ends with a solemn acoustic outro, while the kinetic beat of 'Drop The Needle' provides a nice companion to its bittersweet sound.
The excellent ska-tinged call for unity 'Love Won't Wait' is another highlight, as is the emotional Billy Bragg-like 'Amsterdam', where Chris Cheney's vocal sounds brilliant against the stark accompaniment of a sole electric guitar. Also essential to listen to is the rousing anti-war anthem 'Too Young To Die', which recalls the anger and passion of their early work beefed up to stadium levels. Admittedly the lyrics aren't a consistent strong point during much of the album's second half: top marks for the sentiments, but sometimes the execution may seem a bit too direct for some listeners. The rhyming lines that run alongside the hot paced punk rock of 'Proton Pill' are one example. Elsewhere, 'Wake Up The Vampires' is an enjoyable bit of FM rock complete with a very unexpected ELO-like bit in the middle, while the rumble and rattle of double bass on angry rock n roll closer 'Rat In A Cage' is most welcome.
Another strong collection of tracks from this underrated and resilient band, 'Wunderbar' certainly shouldn't disappoint their existing fanbase, and may even win them new converts. 7.8/10
Comments
Post a Comment