The Belair Lip Bombs: Again

There’s something weirdly recognizable about Australian indie rock music. There’s an exuberance and sunny pop sensibility that seemingly matches the attitude of that island nation. Continent? Geography was never my strong suit (nor is spelling, punctuation or grammar). It’s kind of an invisible thing that I hear in artists like Camp Cope, Alex Lahey and The Beths. That last one is actually a group of Kiwis, but my point holds. These female-led acts have this bounce and spirit that incorporates rock, pop and even some country twang around the edges that inject some light and cheekiness into their music. And hooks. Because how would one make a great power pop album without them?

I went to elementary school in Bel Air, California. It is a world away from The Belair Lip Bombs’ hometown of Frankston, Victoria. Which is apparently a suburb of Melbourne. A place I’ve never been and will probably never be. But, as I mentioned above, I’d like to think their music reflects what looks to be their lovely seaside community. Just brought into real relief by opening track, “Again and Again.” It’s a bop that has, only after a third listen and Hipster Jr. Jr.’s sharp ear, a winding fiddle line that gives a real organic feel to their blast of indie pop. It’s… homey. And then we get the pop rockin’ banger, “Don’t Let Them Tell You (It’s Fair)” and it’s a classic upbeat rock song with some swag. And, dammit, it makes me happy. Wait, what? Happy? But you’re a Gen-X crank! Yes, yes I am. And my music is supposed to be dark and angry. Or at least sound that way. But, hey, I like to smile, too!

The snaking, thick basslines that give those mid-nineties college radio vibes really get me going. I mean, there’s a reason people like Pixies. I also really enjoy Maisie Everett’s voice and how they’ve placed it in the mix. I think maybe that’s the thing that sounds particularly Australian about these bands with female singers. There’s a quality to their voices — which may be totally coincidental — but they have a certain huskiness to their voices and the round syllables of their accents hits your ear in a really cool way. Ms. Hipster and I often talk about some voices making your eardrums flap. A shrillness that causes an actual physical response at the higher range. Even when Everett’s voice does hit a high register, it sounds smokey and cool. Honestly — and I hate to give country music credit — but there are some of the cooler female country voices that fit in this range. Whatever the case, her voice is really a highlight in a well-produced record that both compliments her strong vocals and shows off the layered instrumentation that features your usual three-instrument setup with some key flourishes here and there. It’s just a well-crafted record that Jack White clearly felt strongly enough about to put it out on his Third Man label. The man is a good scout and this is a good album.