Brisbane’s The Sunburys are obviously skilled musicians and they clearly take interest in many musical genres. However, switching from soft rock to Brit-rock to blues to country, and back again, doesn’t pay off for them for their latest album.
Title track “Keep A Lid On It” is similar to AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell”, but without the oomph. Lead singer Anthony Dettori tries to go for that classic rock combo of yelling and singing but doesn’t quite pull it off.
Even though it’s only a 12 track record, Keep A Lid On It feels longer. It’s hard to tell whether that’s because of song arrangement or a lack of cohesion between the tracks that fosters this illusion, but it’s a shame.
The Sunburys do it best when they lean more towards an alt-country feel. The more relaxed vibe suits Dettori’s vocals to a tee and allows him to use the natural honky-tonk in his voice. “Silvertop” is the perfect example of how good the band can be when they stay true to one subgenre. It’s a tune you can picture yourself singing in your car, drumming your fingers in time on the steering wheel.
Keep A Lid On It never quite reaches the potential the band gives glimpses of in certain tracks. It’s a case where the ‘less is more’ mantra could have come in handy.
