Flat Till Death – Robodebt (Swashbuckling Hobo)
So a band you’ve probably never heard of, let alone heard, releases its debut 45 and The Barman says it shakes more shit that a dunny carter’s truck on a cobblestone street and therefore you should own it? Best believe it. Four punk rock songs on this baby outta Brisbane, and they’re uniformly raw and energetic.
“Uber To The Penthouse” is perhaps the least developed in that it’s a handful of lyrics wrapped around a riff and the briefest of lead breaks, but it kicks like a motherfucker. Nicko (guitar) is a paint-peeler vocalist and the engine room of Dr Rock (bass) and Tom keep it simple, stupid, and economy is the watchword.
“Two Lifts and a Carton of Piss” is a solid wall of guitar and a driving rhythmic undertow. Again, simple and effective equals simply effective. Flip it over and the title track is more of the same, with some real swing in the feel and takes on a Motorhead sound. Where “Two Lifts…” employs a drop-out to mix things up, the concise “Jimmy Neville” changes tempo sharply before slamming to a stop.
Dr Rock's production is in the red in every sense of the term. It's on Bandcamp so you can try before you buy. Swashbuckling Hobo releases tend to sell fast so best not delay.
1/4
