HEX.LOVER.KILLER

For the past five years Melbourne five-piece The Delta Riggs have treaded floorboards across the country honing their musical chops.

While the current formation cannot claim a collective heritage dating back so long, it is these live scene experiences that have been distilled into this, their debut LP HEX.LOVER.KILLER.

The greatest moments sprinkled throughout this fare will have you imagining your music player of choice has transformed into a fairly haughty and rather loud collection of drums, amps and speakers.

The opening one two punch of ‘Stars’ and ‘America’ and the Triple J favourite, ‘Ra Ra Radio’ are hand built for pubs and band rooms across the country.

Later album salvos ‘I Was Profound Tomorrow’, ‘Naked’ and in particular album closer ‘Better’ show they can do much more than pump out foot-to-the-floor rockers, the latter with an added note of poignancy.

While this album showcases The Delta Riggs presence as a live act, many of the songs feel somewhat underdeveloped. Several riffs and key melodic hooks develop in a promising fashion before petering out, particularly through repetition.

What sounds great gushing from the PA in a crowded band room, doesn’t necessarily stand up to repetitive listens at home. At nearly 52 minutes the album begins to drag in certain parts and would certainly not be weakened by the loss of a song or two.

However, there is enough songwriting chops on HEX.LOVER.KILLER to suggest that The Delta Riggs have the potential to become much more than a live circuit staple.

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