They want Jagerbomb’s and they want them now
The question “what does rock n roll smell of?” vexed MV for a while as we listened to this, the debut album from Aussie three-piece Tequlia Mockingbyrd.
The best we could come up with was a combination of Phil Lynott on the cover of Live And Dangerous, Lemmy’s Cowboy Hat and Keith Richards pretty much anytime and anywhere.
Why, you ask, were we concerning ourselves with such ridiculous notions? Well, the first track on “Fight And Flight” is called “I Smell Rock N Roll” and it actually is a pretty fine insight into what TM do.
It’s loud, its snotty, it has a similar type of opening to Love/Hate’s classic “Blackout In The Red Room” and by the time it settles on its opening, thumping riff and given its first line: “2am and I walked in with a blinder” you pretty much know what Mockingbyrd’s are all about.
Just in case there should be any doubt at all, they follow this up with “Never Go Home” which, with its massive chorus, might not be the soundtrack to your next messy night out, but it was certainly the soundtrack to theirs.
MV knows what you were thinking as soon as you read the words “Aussie” and “rock n roll” in the same sentence. And however much that sentence normally means one band in particular (you might know them…?) it doesn’t here.
Instead there is a garage rock vibe about “Money Tree” – which rather borrows the baseline from Anthrax’s cover of “Got The Time – and there’s a bluesy stomp in the middle of “Catalyst”, but it doesn’t matter what they do, there is an undercurrent of trouble about Tequila Mockingbyrd.
“Half Of The Man” may or may not be written with someone particular in mind, God help him if these girls ever catch him, mind.
Singer/guitarist Estelle Artois (probably not her real name in honesty) delivers the songs with the threat of punk rock violence, “So Not Me” highlights their differences to other female groups, while “Everyone Down” has elements of just about every classic rock n roll song from Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” onwards.
“This Ain’t Dead” finds another, more psychedelic type of side to them, but for now they seem happier when the drinks are flowing and mischief is in the air. To that end The Ramones’ “Somebody Put Something In My Drink” is the perfect cover for them.
There’s a foray into power pop for the superb “Why Are We Still Friends?” dedicated to those of us who are still clinging onto ex’s on Facebook, and there’s a slice of classic 50s rock n roll with “Jagerbomb” which concludes marvellously “if you ain’t Jager then you’re not for me…..”
“Shut Me Down” almost dares you to mess with them, and the whole thing finishes with “Good Time” which shows you what would happen if you did.
“Fight And Flight” distils rock n roll to its basics. There’s drinking, fighting and a dollop of sleaze, and in so doing it proves that all is right in the world. A band with plenty of self-confidence and belief, Tequila Mockingbyrd are a band that enjoys life, enjoys music and no doubt enjoyed making this record. You can smell it throughout.
Rating 8/10
