Back in 2013, a little-known band from Canberra managed to convince our Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and a cast of Aussie pollies to goof off in a music video that quickly went viral. That band was Super Best Friends, and if you somehow missed the video for their track Round and Round, you missed seeing then-PM Kevin Rudd bust his best dorky dad dance moves and Tony Abbott’s attempts at lip-syncing. The trio may have kept a low profile after dropping this viral nugget, but now they’re back, this time wielding a politically-charged debut that’s going to earn them more cred than any clever clip could.
Status Updates isn’t just an album – it’s a call to arms. This is the sound of a band, clearly fed up with the status quo, rallying for change. Super Best Friends don’t bury what they think beneath layers of cryptic lyrics either: their messages are delivered with a razor sharp wit atop gritty hook-laden rock.
Dog Whistling takes aim at right wing “stop the boats” rhetoric by pouring scorn over Australia’s mistreatment of asylum seekers in offshore detention centres. “Public outrage puts them in a cage,” cries vocalist Johnny Barrington over a syrup of grungy distortion. Out Tonight takes a jab at the alcohol-fuelled binge-and-brawl culture, and Moving Backwards provides a damning assessment of Aussie politics.
Like the album title suggests, everyone has an opinion to convey through social media. But unlike a lot of shit posted online, Status Updates deserves your attention for addressing real issues with an unmistakable urgency and insight.
BY JACK PILVEN
