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Artist: Ooh La La |
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When you think of Aussie
bands, it's always the big guns that come to mind - AC/DC, Rose Tattoo,
INXS, erm - Kylie (?!). You could soon be adding the name of Ooh La
La to that list quite soon on evidence of this easy sounding album of
theirs, 'Free At Last'.
In easy, I mean the way the band make playing their instruments sound here. The basic sounding drum beats and two / three chord guitar riffs sound as if the CD is actually for beginners in learning to play from scratch. And that's the beauty of their album, there's nothing over exaggerated or overblown to take your mind off the actual content of the songs. Listening to 'Free At Last' and 'Don't Forget The Feeling', you get the impression they've just gone into the studio, plugged in, began jamming to warm up and it's been recorded! That's how laid back and effortless they sound. In fact the only person who seems on top doe is the singer, the rest, 'Yeah Well' !!. 'You Gotta Move' could easily be taken from the 60's garage movement that was on the go, something The Strokes have been trying to do for a few years now, and unfortunately if they get to hear this, they'll be pulling their hair out! The guitar and drum into are spot on for those times, along with the tambourine for good measure. There's obviously a lot of similar influences amongst the band members, as they filter through touches of The Black Crowes on 'Lovin Hand', the Southern Blues tinge on vocals and harmonica for good use throughout. Now, when was the last time you heard a triangle being used as an intro to a rock song? It's those little differences that can set bands to stand out from others out there and get noticed that bit more, and Ooh La La have been, especially on home soil where they got support slots for Bon Jovi for two nights. Another slightly different approach is the hand clapping that opens 'When Water Turns To Wine', with that hypnotic basic drum beat again, the guitar stabbing through almost Hendrix like. OK then, if you want a fun lively song to put on to raise a smile, 'Yeah People' is the one to do it. The foot-stomping beat and ivory tickling in parts will get the most sombre of person to at least nod along, and when the mashed up guitar / piano solo cuts in, I dare anyone to sit still, po-faced. Fun with a capital F!. The Faces influence shines through on 'Tonight Only', it's mixture of funky blues guitar, thumping groovy drumming and the Hammond organ all combining together perfectly. Close your eyes and you can picture, Rod, Ronnie & Co. buffooning about on T.O.T.P. stage without a care, just enjoying it all as it sounds as if Ooh La La are doing here. Another jabbing guitar led track, 'Chop The Mutha Down' brings things to a close, but not before one of a few good solos lets rip again, just to let us listeners know they don't just do the basics after all. Admittedly, there's nothing really new to this album, but what the band do, they do really well and with a lot of fun in the process, so you can forgive them for that. In fact it makes you want to put the album straight back on and just let go again!! Review by: Bob Baldwin |
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Tracklisting:
01. Free At Last
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All content copyright of The Mayfair Mall Zine unless otherwise stated. |
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