Australian quartet The Belair Lip Bombs call their music “yearn-core,” mixing indie rock with elements of country and power pop. If you like Waxahatchee, Wednesday, or — for readers of this column — Billy Nomates, I feel confident you’ll like the band’s sophomore album.
Their label (Jack White’s Third Man Records) the Australian band mix country melodies and vocals with post-punk and power-pop touches on their fantastic first album for Jack White’s Third Man Records. Your new favourite band perhaps?
“Again” opens with “Again and Again,” a jubilant ripper that’s got its hooks in you before singer/guitarist Maisie Everett even starts to sing. When she does, though, your ears prick up — she’s got a soaring, expressive voice that lifts everything a few feet higher. The rest of the record keeps that energy going, with memorable song after memorable song, all loaded with melody, personality, and serious musicianship.
They’re not afraid to get ragged and loose, but they can tighten up on a dime, full of melodic shredding and riffs as catchy as the choruses. Everett ties everything together as Belair Lip Bombs glide from punky earworms that would’ve fit between Pixies and Meat Puppets on late-’80s college radio (“Another World,” “Hey You”), to twangier creations (“Don’t Let Them Tell You [It’s Fair],” “Back of My Hand”), ’70s-style pop (“Cinema”), and the bright, jangly modern sound of fellow Aussies The Beths and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (whose Joe White co-produced the album).
Best of all is “If You’ve Got the Time,” a gossamer, tightly crafted pop song delivered like a bar-band showstopper. “Again” is a joy — a great pop record, a great guitar record — and one that’ll make you want to see The Belair Lip Bombs live as soon as possible.
The Fat Angel Sings 