The Living End – Wunderbar
(Rise Records / BMG)
Reviewed by Emily Lipsys.
Wunderbar is the 8th studio album from Australian punk/rock/rock-a-billy band The Living End, and despite being a band that has been around for 24 years, they’re still going strong and still know how to rock! Recorded over a six week period in Berlin during an inspired recording session with producer Tobias Kuhn, this album is one of the most raw, conscious, and politically vital records of their career.
It kicks off with ‘Don’t Lose It’ – the first single to be released from Wunderbar. It is a catchy, driving song, complete with the big rock sound that The Living End are known for. The second track ‘Not Like The Other Boys’ is one of a few tracks from this album that has a nice swing feel to it. It is quite laid back in the verses, with basic electric guitars, vocals, bass and drums, then launches into a loud and heavy chorus.
From the swing of track two it flows into the next punk rock track ‘Otherside’, which is one that is bound to get stuck in your head all day. Starting out with a single guitar riff, drums and frontman Chris Cheney’s instantly recognisable vocals smoothly rolling in over the top, it has a happy feel and is an excellent track to be listening to on a hot summers day.
Track four ‘Death To The American Dream’ harks back to the rock-a-billy type style of music that these guys are known for, with the double bass and fast punk pace. It is political in lyric, addressing some of what we are witnessing globally.
“The star spangled banner has been torn to shreds
They put a warrant out for Mickey Mouse’s head
Welcome to the factory where nightmares are made
Elvis left the building
Lincolns turning in his grave
Can I get a price check on guns in aisle 4?
The madman in the playground wants to start another WAR!”
The song finishes in quite a contrast to the start, with just vocals and an acoustic guitar carrying the rest of this message home.
‘Drop the needle’ (track 5) is one of my favourites from this album. It has an infectious beat that keeps driving the song the whole way through. And it also has awesome vocal harmonies throughout the chorus. This is one that I kept coming back to while listening.
Another of this albums standout songs is track 8, ‘Amsterdam’. It stands out from the rest of the tracks, and stands alone because it is totally stripped back with just electric guitar and Cheney’s vocals. It is a nice change of pace, while still fitting in well with the rest of the album. So titled because that is where the song was written while Cheney was pondering over the ideas/feelings he conveys in this piece. Lyrically you can hear him speaking from personal experiences of loss and the big questions of life, and death, and why it all happens. There is also the reminder to make the good times count.
Track 10 – ‘Wake Up The Vampires’ is another highlight, for the pure fact of its catchiness! This is another one that I keep wanting to come back to time and time again. With a hard driving beat and captivating guitar hooks that explode in during the chorus – it’s just an overall cracking rock song.
Overall, Wunderbar is an album that sits nicely alongside the rest of the exceptional music that this three piece have produced together and in my opinion will be a brilliant album to turn up loud this summer.
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