Skybombers Drop In Again

"Everybody look pensive!"

 

From early pioneers like the Saints and Radio Birdman, to respected outfits Hoodoo Gurus and Hunters and Collectors, to international stars INXS and Midnight Oil, Australian alternative bands have always had a knack for cooking up a rambunctious strain of vegemite rock. Melbourne indie/garage quartet Skybombers carry on that fine Aussie tradition, no barbies required.

“Black Carousel,” Skybombers’ new album on 429 Records, represents a great expansion of musical horizons. The disc’s opening track, “Love Me Like You Used to Do,” is coolly propulsive with a sing-along chorus that would sound good bouncing off bear-stained club walls. “Lies” begins with singer/guitarist Hugh Gurney explaining in a gently Lennon-esque tone, “They say the truth will set you free / Well, I agree to a degree / A lie can do the same for me” before kicking into the kind of melodic yet meaty rock the band is so good at. “Daylight Saving Season” and “All at Sea” showcase melodic sophistication and pop smarts; “Can’t Say No” is hard to resist, while “Jenny and the Night’s” walking bassline and “na-na-na’s” prove Skybombers have much more up their sleeves than just a hot time in the ol’ garage. All the while, Gurney sings in a strong, pleasantly raspy voice reminiscent of Paul Westerberg or Kelly Jones of Stereophonics, with a touch of Liam Gallagher.

Gurney copped his early moves from stand-up bassist Scott Owen of fellow Melbourne group The Living End (the trio responsible for the punkabilly classic “Prisoner of Society”). Such free-thinking radicalism got him kicked out of the prestigious Scotch College orchestra. No matter – Gurney hooked up with three classmates – guitarist Sam Bethune, bassist Ravi Sharma and drummer Scott McMurtrie -- and formed a Cure-inspired mope-rock group called Collusion. After ditching the eyeliner and adopting a more straight-ahead rock vision a la the Clash, Nirvana and Oasis, they changed the name to Skybombers in honor of an Australian popsicle brand (apparently, even the frozen treats kick ass Down Under).

Their 2006 debut EP, “Sirens,” included the start-stop grabber “It Goes Off,” which managed to get significant airplay on influential L.A. station Indie 103.1 (may my former employers – under an alias -- rest in peace). That led to the odd circumstance of the band being recognized here in Tinseltown (hello, ladies, cute accents here), but still unable to draw more than a few dozen paying customers at gigs in their home city. Undaunted, Skybombers risked serious jet-lag and returned to L.A. to record their 2008 debut album, “Take Me to Town.” Those songs featured plenty of surging, slashing guitar, with an occasional touch of tremolo and folk reflection to cool things off. They only hinted at the band’s potential. It’s hard for a rock band to have a hit on the radio these days, but Skybombers might buck the odds. Anyone listening?