Festival favourites The Living End have been flogging the same shtick for something like 15 years now, and it’s beginning to show – more than ever on this latest release. Ultra polished and lyrically quite generic, this is the type of radio friendly ilk that the likes of Triple M will happily eat up, as will any devoted fan.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – we need more Aussie rock, it’s just that some of us would like some more interesting Aussie rock. The singles Song For The Lonely and The End Is Just The Beginning Repeating are at first glance some good old-fashioned toe-tapping rock n’ roll – but will anyone remember these songs in 2 or 3 years time, or will fans at shows be screaming out for the ‘classics’ instead?
But there are a couple of little golden nuggets to be found on this album – the rapid fire riffage of Machine Gun shows glimpses of former glories and it’s a mouth-watering prospect to witness it live. And the 80s flavoured Ride The Wave Boy is another corker that shows The Living End are certainly not down and out yet – although they may be in dire need of a jump start.
Just see these guys live whenever you have the opportunity – that’s where they shine; you can never get a bad gig from The Living End. And hey, if they really rock your boat – get the album, play it loud and piss off your parents/neighbours/any teeny boppers in the area.
