Share 13 SONGS FOR THE RODEO GRRLS – Decline of the Reptiles (I-94 Bar Records)
"Who are those guys?" According to the bio the Barman provided, they're an '80s Sydney outfit with a single and two EPs under their belts who folded the tent in '86 and reformed with a new rhythm section in the Oughts after seeing a track of theirs released on the "Do the Pop!" archival comp of Aussie nuggets. There wouldn't be much of a story here, except that their new stuff is so damn fine.That said, this is kind of a confusing listen. The 12 (not 13 – an anti-bonus track, perhaps?) songs on this shiny silver disc are all over the map stylistically, ping-ponging between grungy, fuzzed-out psych rifferama ("Skirt," "More"); supple funk-rock workouts ("Pashupatinah Blues" and album highspot, the closing "Clubland" with its dancing harmonized eBows); careening Radio Birdman-esque forward motion ("Where the Action Is"); gorgeous pop-rock balladry (the piano-dominated "I Confess," "Penelope" with its "Axis: Bold As Lov"e arpeggios, "Lullabye for the Never Born" which bears an uncanny sonic similarity to, um, Tears For Fears); and the orgy of guitars on "Massive Existential Wall I." Mark Roxburgh's an acid-tongued singer in the manner of Ron Peno, Dean Coulter's guitar shapes the grooves, and Bruce Tatham's tasty keys (is that a real B-3 or a patch?) provide the icing on the cake.
Then again, what's wrong with eclecticism, anyway? You wouldn't want to eat the same food everyday. Think of this disc as a smorgasbord of tantalizing tastes. And from the sound of this, I'll bet these guys are a killer live act. My only gripe is that the weakest cut here, "An Army of Lovers," which chugs along like it was Sublime or something equally vapid, is placed in the lead-off position. An inauspicious kickoff to what's otherwise a totally snazzy release.- Ken Shimamoto
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