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MUSIC
REVIEWS
CLIENT LIAISON
Diplomatic Immunity
Genre of music I didn’t know existed: Australiana synth-
washed indie kitsch disco. How many bands in music
history represent this genre: One. Client Liaison.
The long-awaited debut from the Melbourne duo is
covered in nostalgic synths and funky grooves. The calls
of a kookaburra ring throughout opener
Canberra Won’t
Be Calling Tonight
before a throwback keyboard and a
chunky bass anchor the airy, indie vocals of frontman
Monte Morgan. Second track
Wild Life
boogies along
with fluffy synthesisers and kitsch lyrics. Just as you
thought the Australiana couldn’t get any bigger, up pops
Tina Arena to lend her voice to
Foreign Affair
. The bass-
heavy
Do It My Way
and funky
Off White Limousine
will have Australians dancing all summer. Bands spend
entire careers trying to forge out their own niche area
of the genre, but Client Liaison have done it in one
effort.
5 dollarydoos out of 5.
(
Diplomatic Immunity
is out now via Remote Control)
Tim Lambert
CRX
New Skin
The Strokes’ lead axe man Nick Valenti stretches his
musical freedom on the debut record from his new
band, CRX.
The flickering embers of The Strokes burn bright in
opener
Ways To Fake It
; familiar, slinky riffs litter this
track and others (notably
Anything
), and the newly
appointed frontman’s effortless falsetto will cop
inevitable comparisons to Julian Casablancas.
Broken
Bones
shows off the record’s grittier feel, while
Walls
feels like the fuzz-loving bastard child of The Strokes
and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. In the menacing
Unnatural
, album producer Josh Homme’s signature
knee-trembling grumble is present.
At its peak,
New Skin
is raucous, indie punk; Valenti
slings his guitar around like it’s straight out 2011’s
Angles
. At its pit though, the record is incoherent;
styles and tones jump around from song to song.
Valenti recently stated that CRX was his cure to itchy-
tour-feet, a tool to get back on the road. If that was the
sole objective of the album, it’s a success –
New Skin
will sound killer live.
(
New Skin
is out now via Sony)
Tim Lambert
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