Rocketsmiths “The Bones” – Album Review

Review: Victoria Nugent

  The Bones by Brisbane band The Rocketsmiths is relentlessly, unashamedly rock with edgy guitars, and taut vocals by the bucket load. These guys have been described as vaudevillian rock, and there’s a definite hint at the weird and wacky in their songs.

The first track of the album is Monster Part 1, which features some dark riffs, a catchy beat, wailing vocals, and great dynamics, switching from loud to soft throughout the song.

This song is followed up with a later track on the album called “Monster Parts 2 &3”, and starts off with eerie organ, echoing vocals and a tempo that steadily gets faster, before breaking into edgy riffs and screaming vocals.

“A Shot at the Seat” is relentlessly upbeat, with a energetic electro sounds and staccato verses, and shouty choruses.

“Doctor” kicks off with some frenetic guitar, which later subsides into subtle riffs coupled with a driving beat, with lots of tempo changes and distorted vocals giving this song some serious punk rock cred.

“Dennis” seems quite catchy, but you don’t realise how catchy until the final minute of the song, where chanting vocals draw you and get you singing along to the music’s end.

“Henry Winkler” has hoarse sounding, gritty vocals that are spoken over the top of simple, but skilled electric guitar, with a surprisingly bouncy sing-song bit before the feel.

“Underground” is one of the standouts of the album with an infectious beat, edgy riffs and a chorus designed to sing along to loudly. Demons is all angry lyrics imposed on twisted carnival music, with definite punk nuances.

The Bones is an album with attitude, which definitely takes you on a journey through a range of themes. There’s a lot of dark undertones, and shades of punk, but coupled with the sense of the absurd, and the catchy rhythms, this music defies categorisation.

Review: Victoria Nugent


TheThe Bones – Rocketsmiths


Related:
RocketSmiths – “Underground” : CD Review
Live Review: Tom Ugly with The Rocketsmiths and Comic Sans @ The Troubadour, Brisbane

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Angus and Julia Stone @ The Tivoli, Brisbane – 25 September 2010 with Luluc – Live Review
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