Mother and Son are a self proclaimed garage surf-a-billy two-piece, consisting singer/guitarist Bodie Jarman and Mat Teudt on drums, both hailing from Wollongong, NSW. Their self titled debut album is out now on Impedance Records having been recorded and mixed by the band and mastered by Loki Lockwood at Spooky Records.

I've seen these guys live and was hugely impressed with their frantic set so was keen to get my ears on this album when I heard it was out. I've also seen a few accolades thrown their way (Beat Album of the Week, SYN's The Hoist Album of the Week, Edge Radio Recommends and various other good reviews) so my interest is well and truly interested.

Opener Mosquito sets a steady, drudgy pace and quickly builds up before it's over and the segue to Dengue Fever is complete. It's so tight I wonder why it's even two songs (as you'll notice in the video clip below). Both are guitar-riffing instrumentals supported by some plodding drums.

Dead Yellow Moon is one of the bands leading tracks and has already picked up some JJJ airplay. It's a janglely guitar, screeching vocal track that might win some Jack White fans over. The other track they're spruiking is It Won't Be Long which goes even bluesier swapping the screech for a gravel-coated voice and guitar riff that your head won't be able to stop chasing.

Central tracks (Hanging Tree, Creature From The Swamp and Savage) Mother an Son go for a more swampy feel, holding to the overall vibe of the album, and it's here where I think the band really shows it's strength and make up three of my favourite tracks on the album. The tempo is tempered, vocals wail like a man dying slowly from the black death while guitar and drums paint a dingy, bleak backdrop.

Mat's drumming and Bodie's guitar can both be a bit patchy in places, and although it sounds like they've gone for a raw (garage) sound with this record, another take or two for these parts might have been less jarring.

Surfswing is where the surf-a-billy comes in, and it's a really cool instrumental track that the Reverend Horton Heat would love grooving to. Redcoats is a long slow creeper that's more depressing than all your boy/girlfriends breaking up with you at once (so my most favourite track).

South of the swamp you'll find Johnny Boy, an acoustic, evil, country song that doesn't fit the album very well. Completing the album is Closing Theme which does a good job of doing just that with easing the album out slowly like the credits of your favourite soap.

The packaging is a simple folded card with slip inserts printed in a sepia brown depicting a bunch of old cars parked around an old tin shed. It looks something you'd expect in an 'outback being chased by murderous hicks' type movie setting.

Mother and Son's self titled debut is a solid record with some great moments but lacking a little slickness to make it stick for me. Do catch their live show though because it's this album much faster, more chaotic and heaps of fun.

3 stars

Published on Sludge Factory

Big night tonight with The Bronx and Fucked Up sidewave (seriously cutting back clashes I was expecting the next day at Soundwave) with partly-local lads Coerce in support.

So after work I swing by a friend's going away gathering in North Melbourne, my ninja-like public transporting skillz got me to the Corner just in time (after a smoke and spotting The Bronx stalker/groupie @emkeezy) to catch the opening song of Coerce.

Coerce are playing to a pretty paralysed crowd (taking easy for a big day at Soundwave I assume) but their set is amazing. They don't pull any punches, they slap a wall of sound at you, juggle call and response vocals between members and are just plain awesome.

Bulmers cider stubbies (yeah the big ones) are going down a treat tonight and after finding some friends on the rooftop we spot Tim Rogers and discuss whether he's here for The Bronx or Fucked Up. For the record I was for Fucked Up, as much as he'd look at home in LA I reckon he'd go more for some crazy canucks.

Another drink and I find a leaning pole beside the sound desk. I hear some droning guitars and the curtains are pulled back to reveal Fucked Up kicking off Twice Born. Singer Pink Eye is shirtless by the end of the song and has barely been seen on stage (which doesn't change for much of the set).

Magic Word is next and crowd surfers are already scooting over an audience split by Pink Eye's trail. He even made it as far as the door to the male toilets before finding the lighting guy beside the sound desk and jumping on his back (eek!). By the time he returns to stage he's managed to wrap the entire length of his mic cord around his head.

The rest of the band are fun to watch (since Pink Eye is lost in the crowd). 10,000 Marbles and Gulag hold the wings strutting guitars, Mustard Gas the hot bassist swaying wildly center stage with Mr. Jo pounding skins up the back.

They play some new tracks which they claim to be still working on (they sound just the right amount of chaotic and destructive to me). Apparently Trash Talk and Kylesa are in the crowd so they get a shout out before breaking into Crooked Head.

Pink Eyes at some stage yells “Shut up I'm trying to think” before mentioning that he now has a child so that proves he's had sex.

The set comes to an unfortunate end but it's been a great night so far, with the crowd now totally hyped up THE BRONX should be set for a corker.

There is a crowd lining the bar (not ordering drinks) which sucks as I have to squeeze past to grab another drink and head upstairs for another smoke break.

I slide my way up to the right of stage to get into the action for The Bronx and intermission music includes NWA which at least fits geographically.

Singer Matt Caughthran come on grinning ear to ear, he remembers last time, as do many in the crowd, and everyone knows a fun night's in store. Opening with Knifeman followed by Inveigh the crow goes ballistic and already sees Matt throw himself to the chaos.

The full lineup is here with Joby J Ford and Ken Horne on guitar, Brad Magers on bass and Jorma Vik on drums. All seasoned vets now they know Matt loves to hold the attention so they give him a relentless blast of sound which gives him all the energy he needs to work with.

There's some new material on display as well as a healthy dose from previous releases, especially III. Matt tells the crowd the festival and sidewaves so far have all been practice for here tonight and how Melbourne is The Bronx's home away from home. He asks to see bodies and he gets them in spades as people come from everywhere to jump off stage, off the barriers, off Matt himself even.

I'm worn out as the final sounds are pulled by the sound guy and as lights flicker on the sweat drenched crowd head home for some sleep before a big day at Soundwave the next day.

-jon

Published on Sludge Factory