Come On In – The On and Ons (Jem Recordings)

It’s only January but “Come On In” is already a contender for 2025's Record of The Year.

Granted, it’s not a “new” album as such - more a compilation of the band’s best songs from The On and Ons’ five previous releases with three new tracks appended - but don’t let that stop you. Odds-on that it’s going to smoke any other rocking pop you’ll hear in 2025.

“Come On In” is the American debut release for the Sydney band on Jem, an imprint established on 1970 and since revived by one of its founders, Marty Scott. It’s also home to the likes of power-pop king Paul Collins, The Grip Weeds and Richard Barone.

The Ons and Ons and the USA aren’t total strangers: Little Steven named "Let Ya Hair Down!" from their album of the same name as one of his "Coolest Songs In The World" on his Underground Garage radio show last year. That’s serious cachet for a band that already has plenty.

If you don’t know, The On and Ons feature singer-songwriter-guitarist Glenn Morris, brother Brian Morris (drums-vocals) bassist Clyde Bramley and latest addition keyboardist John Hoey. Their combined pedigree includes recording and touring internationally with Hoodoo Gurus, Died Pretty, Screaming Tribesmen, Kings of the Sun and Paul Collins Beat.

The band members would never dare use the term but we mere mortals can call them a supergroup.

Assuming you don’t have the collector gene, why do you need “Come On In” if you have the previous albums and EP? It’s all about the tracking. That’s the term for the running order on an album. It is a lost art for most bands in an age where it’s all about the digital single and pick-as-you-go playlists.

Not so The On and Ons who invested a lot of thought into the sequencing, As a result, “Come On In” is a serious avalanche of glorious rock-pop that comes tumbling out of the speakers, one rolled gold should-be-a-hit after another.

Sure, you could stream it (it’s on lossless Apple Music for one) and you’d hear the newies, “Roller Coaster”, “(Scare Me) Outta My Mind” and “Been There”, which are certifiable gems. Call me old fashioned, but streaming doesn’t match tossing a silver disc into a rotel and hearing music on a full blown stereo. Or in a car, if you have one that predates the elimination of CD players.

(All this is sacrilege, vinyl obsessives will say. Yes, the vinyl format sounds warm through a decent system, but settle down. Buy this and there might be enough capital left over to invest in indulging your black wax fetish.)

Many Barflies will already be familiar with the band so we’ll dispense with the obvious comparisons to The Raspberries, the Mop Tops, DM3, Big Star, The Plimsouls and so on. All the rest of you just need to know is that The Ons and Ons are all about the hooks and harmonies. John Hoey’s keys add a fresh layer and fatten the sound.

The new songs are all worth the price of admission. Glenn Morris pushes his vocal range on “Roller Coaster” (like he did on “She’s Leaving” and “Sonny Jim”, both also included here) - and nails it. “(Scare Me) Outta My Mind” has a compelling melodic hook and a stinging guitar solo. “Been There” is equally fresh and formidable pop.

If you’re in the US, demand a copy from your local physical stockist or hit up Amazon. The latter is an option if you’re in Australia - or you can await the impending new release list from Redeye Records in Sydney and probably save a couple of bucks.