Lucksmiths - Why That Doesn't Surprise Me

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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Review

The Lucksmiths may well be a new name to many but since 1993 they have released a run of E.P.s, 7” singles and a full length C.D. ‘Why That Doesn’t Surprise Me’ is the Melbourne-based pop group’s first studio album in three years. Comprising of Mark Monnone, bass, electric and acoustic guitars and vocals ; Tali White, main vocalist, drums and electric piano, and Marty Donald, acoustic and electric guitars and vocals, all three Lucksmiths contribute songs to the album but Donald is the main songwriter with nine credits to his name. The initial reaction on hearing the first track, ‘Music To Hold Hands To’, was, due mainly to the vocals, to take away the first four letters of the group’s name and pretend that it was 1986 again. The likeness to Morrissey can’t be ignored but thankfully as the album progresses the Smiths comparisons are pushed slowly away by The Lucksmiths ability to make their own mark on this intelligent indie-pop music. The light, breezy production by Craig Pilkington suits the songs, which, although fleshed out with plenty of instrumentation including horns and strings, does not drown the songs and leaves them sounding bright and poppy. The opening track, and the most Morrissey-influenced song, first introduces us to the clever lyrics which are laced with humour that dominate this album and which make the songs throughout that bit more appealing. “You keep a diary… Yeah, and I know where you keep it: Under where your underwear is meant to be”. The impression which is given here is one of these guys making music inspired by their heroes but not taking it too seriously. There are a couple of beautiful ballads, which really are outstanding. The best one, ‘The Great Dividing Range’, is simply stunning. White’s yearning vocals about lovers separated by distance floating over strings make this a standout track. The following, short, ‘Beach Boys Medley’ could be about the Wilson clan in the first verse but is hardly the Beach Boys tribute I expected. At just over a minute long it’s a lazy, dreamy song but it’s over too soon to make any great impression. It’s the one letdown on the album which, had it been worked on longer, could have been up with the best. The ideas are there but not expanded on. The next two tracks more than make up for it though. ‘Broken Bones’ has intriguing lyrics; is it about actually being on crutches or is it just a metaphor for falling ‘from my sweethearts clutches’? Whatever, with it’s catchy chorus of ‘Coffee cups, promises, sure, But I’ve never broken bones before’, it’s another beautiful pop song. ‘First Cousin’ is a touching song written by White about hero-worshipping a cousin who possibly dies. Again the lyrics could be taken to mean two different things. Covering a diverse range of topics other than just loves lost and found; this album takes in songs about rollercoasters, summer days and a relationship suffering from pressure of work. Described as Squeeze meeting Elvis Costello, a more telling description would be of Morrissey fronting The Go-Betweens. Although this might seem a lazy comparison, the music has a lot in common with the intellectual pop played by The Go-Betweens. Altogether a very impressive record and highly recommended to anyone with even a slight interest in melodic pop music.

Track Listing:-