Monday, 3 March 2014

Record Review - The Basics

Published in the Shortlist section of the Sydney Morning Herald, Friday Feb 28.

The Basics
My Brain’s Off (And I Like It)
MGM

Last year saw a return to the stage by The Basics, obviously hungry for more time together after the success of Gotye, extensive aid work and involvement in film.

Their comeback shows, at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club in September 2013, were subsequently recorded, and so now we have, to add to their already substantial canon, a live record. For those who’ve seen The Basics in the flesh, My Brain’s Off… won’t offer any surprises. Their banter is as lively as ever, the music itself as jangly and catchy as it’s always been. Good to see too, that the majority of the material covered here is culled from the band’s earlier releases, mainly 2003’s Get Back, and 2007’s Stand Out/Fit In.

The recording itself is great, the crowd sound enthusiastic, the band are excited, as you can tell from the accompanying DVD footage. However, the album does do one thing above all else – remind one how overdue the band are, to record some new material.
3/5

Samuel J. Fell



No comments:

Post a Comment