Music
Press
This three song offering by local outfit Ambush Marketing is an assured and confident follow-up to the 2008 'People Are Monsters' EP. While 'People Are Monsters' was an outing in up front pop sensibilities and piano laden odes, 'Dirty Little Song Bird' is a far more guitar driven affair. The songs of Matthew Hill still feature with all of their melodic charm, but the change in line up of new guitarist Ben Campbell has taken the band in a slightly more angular and edgy direction.
From the opening chord sequence of 'Nervous Pervis', the clarion call to all guitarists rings out with Ben Campbell's effected guitar hinting at what is to come. The rest of the band fall in line with some rock solid drumming by Greg Hill and the warmth of Matthew Hill's fluid bass lines. The vocal by Matthew begins in a slightly flattened, understated manner reminiscent of Morrissey before lifting into the more melodic mantra of 'there's nothing wrong... there's nothing wrong'. Suddenly, the intrumental break kicks in with the demented howlings of Campbell's axe grinding chord play which is engaging. As the track progresses, the guitar lines become more chaotic resembling some tortured sounds akin to Sonic Youth or even Mogwai. Cool.
The second track, 'St Morris' is the pop moment of the CD. The pace is upbeat and the vocals are delivered with aplomb. The chorus is complete with some background 'ahhs' and nice harmony lines that hint at Blur and other 90s Brit bands. The guitar is restrained which allows the song to breathe its simple pop formula. The song concludes with sung harmony that finishes everything in a stylish and fitting manner.
The final track 'Everything (will always go your way)' is epic in its vision and execution. The inclusion of accordioline by Matthew Hill begins the track in a slightly spooky way accompanied by some flavorsome tom work by Greg Hill. The spooky factor is reiterated by the lyric: 'Be prepared for a day to come, when the sun sets on your fortune' - perhaps as an ominous foreboding of the menacing guitar growl that suddenly seeps into the mix. The accordioline slowly gives way to a delayed, tremelo guitar driven explosion comnparable to some cataclysmic excerpt from a Godspeed You! Black Emperor record. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the guitar is gone and what remains are the final soothing, if not unsettling chords on the accordioline and some unspecified strange noises. A masterful conclusion to this latest release by Ambush Marketing.
The artwork which features pieces by local artist Mercedes Mangnall contributes to the overall high quality of this release. It's only three songs, but it is GREAT! - Quiet Pop zine
Discography
People Are Monsters (EP) - released September 2008
Dirty Little Song Bird (Demo EP) - released July 2009
Photos
Bio
Ambush Marketing is a three-piece band from Adelaide, Australia. Formed in 2005, the band went through many line-up changes, coming to settle on it's current configuration of Matthew Hill (vocals, bass, accordioline, guitar), Ben Campbell (guitars, glockenspiel, loops) and Greg Hill (drums) in early 2009. The band released their first EP, People Are Monsters, in September 2008. The EP was launched at the opening of an exhibition of artwork based on the songs of the band called Cover Art. In July 2009, Ambush Marketing released a three track demo, Dirty Little Song Bird, which was reviewed favourably by Quiet Pop zine. Both releases have just been picked up for limited distribution by Melbourne label, Plastic Viking Helmet Records. At the launch of the demo, the band played while a local artist made artworks at the back of the stage. Ambush Marketing is keen to work with artists and other musicians on collaborative projects, and always looks for ways to make performances and recordings more colourful. The band has a unique presence in the local music scene, making dark indie rock inspired by and reminiscent of Blur/Radiohead/Sonic Youth/Pavement.
Links
