There has been some really interesting music hitting these UK shores from the Australian continent recently and Cousin Betty seem to be another in this never ending conveyor belt. Who are Cousin Betty? Well, it`s one of many bands/ projects that guitarist and songwriter Damien Stofka has formed. He has created riffs and written songs for Molten Universe, Death Mattel, LITTER, and various other projects for the last fifteen years. A fella who is less interested in a standard line-up and the logistics required to be in a functioning band, who is inspired by the Desert Sessions, a musical collective series, founded by Josh Homme (Queens Of the Stone Age).
Cousin Betty came from one of these get togethers, with Matt Downey fronting it, The result is a five track EP entitled `Left`
`Tape Hiss` kicks off this extended play with intricate rapid guitar riffs laying a foundation for much quieter almost edgy vocals to relate a tale of bands that produced anthemic songs such as Prince and Queen. The chorus had an almost football chant texture about it. Overall, I was put in mind of the sleazy style of commercial hard rock featuring big riffs and choruses that Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction used to grace us with in the mid to late eighties. A cracker to lead us in on. There`s some wonderful deep down and dirty riffs on `Drone` a tale relating the adverse reaction to a post on face book from an acquaintance of the songwriter. The vocals this time are a lot heavier mirroring the angry sentiment of the lyrical content. It ends in a nigh on cacophony of controlled noise.
`Lazy Bones` is an instrumental which is quite melodic with some drum rhythm and guitar chords circling away repetitively becoming quite hypnotic while others are shared in a dreamlike fashion over the top and around. Strangely alluring.
A throbbing bass line along with accompanying drumbeat lead us into `Loan Sharks`.
The vocals are quite delicately shared initially before being joined by a further vocal and the pair becoming more assertive with a seedy grungy guitar riff giving the number a real edge. It gathers a bit of pace and becomes much more psychedelic before ending abruptly.
This extended play closes with `AWOL`. Singer, Matt, had a Grandfather who went absent without official leave to marry his sweetheart, this gesture was both romantic and practical as Matt, himself, may not have been here to tell the story otherwise. His Grandfather was summarily sent to jail to serve time for the offence before heading to Egypt and New Guinea to fight and upon returning he was never the same again. The song is a tribute to service people everywhere and the horrors they endure for noble principles. The track is a real rock out with thrashing guitar riffs, and pounding drums and vocals racing along. A sort of garage rock outing on acid. Powerful stuff.
I have to say `Left` from Cousin betty was a joy to behold. It was sort of grungy indie rock heading towards stoner with a little psychedelia thrown in for good measure. As Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias once related it was a wonderful mix of “Heads down, No nonsense, Mindless boogie – bang your head on a wall”, Thank you Oz.
Rating 9 /10
