Post by thesoundmonitor on May 28, 2004 8:34:12 GMT -5
PENGUIN
A Harder Way To Roll
(Independent)
Eclectic. That's the first word that springs to mind on giving this disc a spin. Formed in sunny-but-cold Canberra, Penguin's influence list not only draws on a wide variety of rock bands, but even includes such styles as mid-last-century swing and jazz. Their strengths include a clean, quick guitarist, a drummer that can handle a range of styles and time changes with aplomb, a solid sound and crisp production.
The major gripe is a lack of consistency throughout the album. Rather than fuse their influences into a 'sound', each song reflects a different mindset to the last. A hard rocking song, followed by a rock/rappy Clutch style tune, then a bass-led Primusy track, a funky Chili Peppers jam, and so on. It's not that any of the styles don't work - the fact that they
carry off each style of music so well is testament to their musicianship. The problem is that the artistic focus of the album seems fuzzy, making it difficult to pin down the essence of the band. Still, one person's 'lack of consistency' is another person's 'variety', and there are plenty of people that might think that's great.
My preference is (of course) for the heavy stuff, and I'm happy to report that there are more than a few moments on this release to whet the palate. Songs like ‘Die In The Day’, and the sleazy-sounding ‘DaughterWater’ indicate a band that knows how to rock when they want to.
The album is a concept album of sorts. The liner notes tell a (quite sad) story that flows through the album, about the unfortunate demise of a rock singer called Keith Marsden. One excerpt particularly caught the eye: "as the years slowly passed his depression would grow as he watched young rock fans idolise what he felt was second-rate performers and their music." With the proliferation of some genuinely below-par copycats that have dominated Australian charts in recent years, there's no doubting the
autobiographical nature of this lament.
Matt Harris
A Harder Way To Roll
(Independent)
Eclectic. That's the first word that springs to mind on giving this disc a spin. Formed in sunny-but-cold Canberra, Penguin's influence list not only draws on a wide variety of rock bands, but even includes such styles as mid-last-century swing and jazz. Their strengths include a clean, quick guitarist, a drummer that can handle a range of styles and time changes with aplomb, a solid sound and crisp production.
The major gripe is a lack of consistency throughout the album. Rather than fuse their influences into a 'sound', each song reflects a different mindset to the last. A hard rocking song, followed by a rock/rappy Clutch style tune, then a bass-led Primusy track, a funky Chili Peppers jam, and so on. It's not that any of the styles don't work - the fact that they
carry off each style of music so well is testament to their musicianship. The problem is that the artistic focus of the album seems fuzzy, making it difficult to pin down the essence of the band. Still, one person's 'lack of consistency' is another person's 'variety', and there are plenty of people that might think that's great.
My preference is (of course) for the heavy stuff, and I'm happy to report that there are more than a few moments on this release to whet the palate. Songs like ‘Die In The Day’, and the sleazy-sounding ‘DaughterWater’ indicate a band that knows how to rock when they want to.
The album is a concept album of sorts. The liner notes tell a (quite sad) story that flows through the album, about the unfortunate demise of a rock singer called Keith Marsden. One excerpt particularly caught the eye: "as the years slowly passed his depression would grow as he watched young rock fans idolise what he felt was second-rate performers and their music." With the proliferation of some genuinely below-par copycats that have dominated Australian charts in recent years, there's no doubting the
autobiographical nature of this lament.
Matt Harris