AMBERDOWN

There’s a slew of young Aussie rockers out there making a name for themselves overseas, led by the likes of Airbourne, Destroy She Said, Dead City Ruins and Massive, all of whom have impressed the fickle Europeans with juggernaut riffs, larrikin smiles and irresistibly catchy tunes, and it sounds like Amberdown will be next.

The Perth-based five-piece hold nothing back on their debut slab: vocals soar, guitars crunch, drums pound and each song might as well come with a complete money back guarantee to stick in your brain like all your favourite Foo Fighters earworms rolled into one.

There’s no sign of weakness or flagging of the pace over these six tracks, with the title track’s bubblegum pop melody and powerful rhythm section starting the party in fine fashion, followed by the rocketship vocal performance of David Connell on Disaster. Lost Your Way and All The Way inject a little ‘90s indie rock flavour into the boisterous mix, leaving Inside 2009 and Surprise to finish in fine, flag waving spirits.

Connell (guitars/vocals) leads from the front but no-one’s on board for the ride: guitarist Jason Glatzer co-produced the EP with his Dad Ben, a former WAMI award winner, drummer Marc Lennon and bassist Jason Donoghue are locked and loaded from start to finish, never settling on a generic beat or rhythm when a little extra funk or swing would work better, and all-rounder David Lennon adds guitars and keys wherever they’re needed to round out the package.

There’s nothing not to like here, it’s as simple as that. Amberdown squeeze every ounce of melody out of each track, whilst rocking hard the whole time. Class.

Amberdown launch Miss Mediocrity this Saturday at The Causeway Bar, Vic Park (Perth)

https://www.facebook.com/Amberdownmusic - Shane Pinnegar

Quickly rising up the Perth music scene, Amberdown have been nailing their thunderously catchy rock tunes all around town alongside the likes of Kids In Glass Houses, September Sun and I Said The Sparrow.

Now, after a reboot, the five-piece have released their debut EP cramming their powerful live show into a tightly recorded mix. Title track Miss Mediocrity kicks things off with a groovy bass-driven verse and a soaring chorus highlighted by Daniel Connell’s vocals. The track itself is a superb example of what follows – punchy chords, complementary drums and finger-lickin lead riffs. Disaster proves to be Connell’s strongest track, taking his vocal range to clear heights, while Lost Your Way will have Aussie guitarists frothing. Finishing strong, Inside 2009 is the most entertaining track of the album providing a smooth combination of addictive drum fills, backing vocals and attitude.

There’s a huge future for the Perth boys as they continue the fight to prove that rock isn’t dead. - Xpress Magazine