Friday, June 18, 2010

The Mess Hall - Devils Elbow

YOURZ

I got Devils Elbow after reading about it in local music press.  Even though they are another in the seemingly unending run of two piece bands, I thought I'd give these Sydney boys a turn.  If anything, I was a little cynical, at first.  But then seeing it's produced by Gerling's Burke Reid piqued my interest and now, the more I listen to it, the more I like it.

This is a mix of both old swampy blues and more contemporary influences, both local and international.  I've not seen the band live so I don't know how stripped back their live sound is, but it has been well-captured in this set of raw, dirty tracks.  But there is not doubting these songs were bounced off a concrete wall in a dingy rehearsal space before they ever saw the light of day.  These were born of sweat, spit and the hard yards and are only the better for it.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP


MINE

Odd.  It seems well done, but the more I listened to Devils Elbow the more it annoyed me.  Yet another in the seemingly-endless round of blues-based rock that YourZ purchases, it's really not badly written, played or produced at all.  But that lead singer?  Can't.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT


For further information go to: http://www.themesshall.com.au/

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