It’s been almost a decade since Spiderbait’s last studio album. Now, the trio are back with their most assured, varied, and considered record to date.
The first single ‘Straight Through The Sun’ is a frantic track that could be the sequel to ‘Black Betty’. It sees Kram (aka Mark Maher) howling amid a wave of distorted bass, fuzzy guitars, and immediate drums. The song suggests that the band may have rested on their laurels but, thankfully, the musical path widens for the rest of the album.
‘It’s Beautiful’, with vocals from Janet English, is a shimmery pop number that draws parallels to English’s previous side project, Happyland. Her lilting tune provides an agreeable yet stark contrast to Kram’s rocking drawl.
The eponymous LP is adventurous, combining hard-nosed riffs with some real sweet spots. Like Regurgitator, the trio create genre mash-ups, throw in some private jokes, and lobb a few curveballs in among the light and heavy moments.
The volume is turned up considerably for ‘What You Get’, a headbanging ruckus that leads a tidal wave of destruction akin to Motörhead’s ‘Ace Of Spades’. However, the following track ‘Freakazoid’ takes on a more Blur feel and is one that sees the band pulling back.
Spiderbait proves that the Aussie rockers are mature enough to know what they like without rehashing their old style. The trio’s comeback record has 14 tracks that build on their previous free-spirited, fun, and honest sound, proving that Spiderbait’s party is far from over.
Listen to ‘Straight Through The Sun’ from Spiderbait here:
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