Psychobilly, qu’est que c’est? A little bit rockabilly and a whole lotta punk rock, as far as musical styles go, psychobilly is something of a niche genre, albeit one with a large and loyal fan base.
Melbourne four-piece The Workinghorse Irons are relatively new on the block but they’ve been winning fans of their own with their impressive live shows, including a slot at Brazil’s Psycho Carnival Festival.
Unfortunately the band’s self-titled EP gets off to a wobbly start with the aggressive but uninspiring opener “Hellfire Girl”.
Things soon straighten out thanks to the driving double bass and Motörhead-esque phrasing on “Love Or Lust”. Some chugging guitar riffs and a stripped back, catchy chorus (Was it love/Lust, baby?/All of the above?) cement this track as the album highlight.
“Roadtrip” and “Set Me Free” work hard to maintain the momentum, each with some thumping drumming and toe-tapping bass. This is, however, marred by oppressive vocals that more closely resemble shouting than singing.
The slightly down-tempo, more melodic “Scare Tactics” hums with an influence from The Living End as the pace is reined in with chopping guitar and a better vocal balance.
The closing track, a cover of The Meteor’s “Wildcat Ways”, is a roughed up version of the song that gives a respectful nod to the influential godfathers of the psychobilly genre.
The Workinghorse Irons EP serves up psychobilly with a distinctly rock edge but unfortunately lacks the finesse needed to make these OK tracks truly great.
