Australia historically has a knack for honesty, at least in their musical output. The lyrics on the records rarely mess about and, for the most part, get right to the point. With Skeggs there’s a lot of that no messing about attitude and really beautifully so.
This album is so stripped back and devoid of any pretension that it’s totally enthralling. The overall premise is as simple as it comes, we have guitar, drums and vocals and, as i’m informed now, the addition of occasional synths, a first apparently!
Opener Tradewinds recalls J Mascis at his most laid back with the refrain, “One day i’m going to get out of my own way,” I’m pretty sure many, if not all of us can relate to that sentiment. This is the sound of raw, simple songwriting, it’s stripped back, it’s pure and brings to mind writing love songs for your high school sweetheart or just making some messed up songs because you felt sad one day.
When you disregard this band is actually huge in their homeland with a Number 1 ARIA album, their sophomore release, Rehearsal, under their belts, it’s a very intimate collection of emotive, heartfelt songs. Stand out track “Spaceman” is a song I wish I’d written in my adolescence and that’s what this album evokes, a deep sense of heady nostalgia. That is Skeggs’ ace card on this record, whether they realise it or not. It’s honesty, love and a warm fuzzy feeling.
As Ben Reed sings, “I just need a hug.” you entirely feel, “yes mate, me too!” There is also a bit of retrospective trashy recall to British bands like The Libertines in places which is no bad thing at all, as it’s soon soothed with lovely heavenly over reverberated Beach Boys backing vocals as on the dreamy “Batten Down The Hatches”.
“Aeroplane Heart” recalls the best bits of 90s UK Britpop with additional SciFi effects, (that will be the aforementioned synths), “Out Of My Head” is the song you wish you and your friends had at school in your formative years, making mistakes, getting into trouble and creating friends for life ultimately.
Final track “Kelly’s Heroes” really seals the deal though I have to say, all of a sudden you’re back in the 90s and Beck is doing the beats and Sebadoh is in charge of melodies. This is, as the title suggests, “Pacific highway music” indeed. You can imagine this on long roadtrips in the sun with your best friends.
Put in simpler terms, this is an album that evokes feelings you may have long forgotten, old friends, lost summers and first romances. Believe me, it really is that good and definitely worthy of your attention. Does that sound good to you? It certainly sounds great to me.
