The Snowdroppers – not the perverse thieves who pinch knickers from clotheslines, but the Sydney blues rock group – have returned to the scene after 18 months away with their third effort Business.
The band’s first record, Too Late to Pray, boasted a rockabilly, tin-shed-shindig sound, and included the breakout track, Do the Stomp, which came to prominence after being featured in the 2011 Aussie film Red Dog. Their second LP, Moving Out of Eden, moved into a darker blues rock space that was almost brooding. Business has notes of both – it maintains the well-articulated, lyrically-driven songwriting and tight guitar forms, but progresses into blues rock/pop territory with regimented rhythms and staccato hooks. There’s an energetic live vibe inscribed on the record, captured by producer Ryan Hazell (who’s one half of The Fumes).
The record opens with the title track, which parodies our current economic environment and the asphyxiation of our love for the programmed drudgery of clocking in and out from nine to five. “I finish off the day with a drink or two/ Then it’s back to fantasising ‘bout the lottery again/ The government ain’t gonna pick up the cheque/ Because it’s the recession that we had to have”.
Lead single Love Letters continues to showcase the band’s new sound, but it comes across a little too manufactured. Maryanne strikes a chord, guided by ominous bass and guitars that complement heartfelt lyrics yearning for love that isn’t meant to be: “Maryanne, let’s bury our heads in the sand one more time”.
They hit their stride in the back half. Everybody’s Losing My Mind and Down the Street harness deeper, darker tones, akin to Arctic Monkey’s AM; I Don’t Think I Want You To Come Over Tonight and Devil Child are a return to the rockabilly sound off their first album; and they finish by giving an Australian twang to a Tom Waits gem, Hold On.
Business is pretty good, but it’s not great. For me, it’s all about the B-side, where exploration beyond the norm is evident.
BY LEE SPENCER-MICHAELSEN
