The first great classic rock album of 2017?
Since forming in Melbourne towards the end of the last decade, you can’t accuse My Dynamite of being prolific.
Indeed, it took them five years to release an album at all – their self-titled debut emerged in 2012 – they then toured Europe a couple of times (the last of which in 2014 saw them open for Lynyrd Skynyrd no less). Now at long last they have got around to a follow up.
All of which is a pre-amble to saying that in this case, good things come to those who wait, because “Otherside” is pretty sensational.
We may as well get it said now. Sensational or not it is a record that absolutely knows where it comes from and what its influence are. The Small Faces, Humble Pie, The Stones, even Led Zep at their most laid back are all here, but the over-riding thing you’ll hear when you listen to this, is a load of The Black Crowes.
In fairness this is mostly due to the vocal similarities between Patrick Carmody and Chris Robinson, but it is most definitely present all the way through these nine wonderful songs.
“Round The Bend” behind with a crescendo and gets better from there as the slide guitar riff kicks in, and by the time the harmonica and well picked piano parts have blended with it all, you are left hailing something very special indeed.
“Witch Hat” turns up to prove this isn’t a fluke, and if anything adds more melody and an extra dollop of swagger, and if “So Familiar” is as laid back and contented as a man that’s in a Hammock, looking at a cloudless sky and not about to move anywhere anytime soon, then that is to its credit.
Those two strands are in evidence throughout “Otherside”. The bar room stompers happily mix together with the more laid back moments. “State We’re In” is a real highlight of the former and the country imbued and glorious “Can’t Tell Lies” is very much the best of the latter.
Fittingly, perhaps, for a band that evidently does things at their own pace and no one else’s, the songs on offer travel to exactly where My Dynamite want them to, on their own terms. “Love Revolution” adds a psychedelic strand to things, while “Motortalkin’” merrily wah-wah guitars it’s way into your consciousness like “Sticky Fingers” era Mick and Keef. The title track possesses a understated groove, but also brings with it the feeling that it could change gear at any time, and the use of female backing vocals adds to the all round classy feel. Indeed there is barely a note out of place throughout.
The album ends with the acoustic “Don’t Steal The Light”, which is brought to life by some gorgeous strings and gives “Otherside” the final push it needs to greatness.
With the current crop of classic rock influenced bands seemingly ever growing (and often misinterpreted as “retro”) then it woud be tempting to suggest that there isn’t the room for another. That rather misses the point, though, that even in 2017 the cream rises to the top and “Otheriside” is surely one of the best albums of it’s type you’ll find this year.
Worth the wait – and then some.
Rating 9/10
