ShrewmsBrisbane Dog House
Turkeyneck Records

Brisbane punk rock ‘n’ rollers Shrewms deliver a killer album with Brisbane Doghouse. Filled with high energy tunes, this record packs a punch with every song. The aptly named opening track Wild And Loose sets it up to be a punk record through and through, but as the album progresses you discover there's more to it than that.

The band is tight – the drumming is solid, and the lead guitarist produces some great short-but-sweet solos, like on Never Go That Way. The vocals bring it all together – full of attitude and sneer, but also mature and heartfelt. One of these softer moments is the third track Naked Heart. It’s a total change of pace for the album - slow, melodic and angsty - without sitting awkwardly in the track list.

The production quality is quite good, and alongside the punk energy and attitude, there are some fun, old school elements of straight rock ‘n’ roll too, like the intermittent tambourine.

Their cover of Devo’s Mongoloid is a great version, with a little bit of extra attitude and cool thrown in the mix. There are some other unexpected touches throughout this record, like the resonating church bell sound in New Farmed Eskimo and the semi-maniacal rant-like spoken part in My Best Friend, and these touches spark some extra interest.

Overall, this is a great mix of grungey punk with garage and rock ‘n’ roll influence: fast paced and energetic. There’s the perfect balance between raw and refined throughout this whole record.

ShrewmsBrisbane Dog House

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