[rating=6.00]
There’s no denying the 1990s were an especially great decade for guitar-centric rock music. So great, in fact, that many of today’s young, up and coming rockers are reverting back to these not so distant golden years as a source of inspiration. Windang, Australia’s Hockey Dad is one of these bands. Zack Stephenson (guitar/vocals) and Billy Fleming (drums) were still toddlers when the nineties came to a close and yet the sound of the decade – the collision of dirty guitars and a melodic, pop sensibility – seems to have been ingrained into their heads. For their sophomore release Blend Inn, the duo takes a conscious step away from the breezy surf rock they have become known for in lieu of a grungier, gloomier, and more aggressive style.
The album opens with some crunchy guitar work and the angsty break-up number “My Stride” before launching into the first single “Homely Feeling”, the most propulsive and punchiest cut from the twelve track record. Stephenson explains that the inspiration for this punky, riff-driven song came from the homesickness he experiences while on tour in an interview with Australian radio station Triple J: “It’s sort of about you get the feeling of home, and when you’re not actually at home you want to be home, and having sorta semi-freakouts in the street of some city”. The lyrics for “Homely Feeling” fall short however and the words are the main detractor from an otherwise solid song – “I know I’m not the one but they follow me with guns…. Say I’m not the one I know you’re having fun”. Unfortunately, this happens to be the case with many tracks on Blend Inn as often times the lyrics are just too simplistic and vague, resulting in a song that isn’t fully fleshed out. The record as a whole would have benefited greatly had just a little more attention and effort gone into the words and songwriting.
The majority of Blend Inn was recorded in Seattle at the same studio Nirvana had once worked and it’s likely Hockey Dad’s newfound nineties sound is due in part to this drastic change in setting. The boys were definitely feeling the Cobain influence on the third cut “I Wanna Be Everybody”, lifting the riff from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” before transitioning into a personal favorite for this writer with “Danny”. A desperate plea for the return of a long gone lover, “Danny’ is bolstered by a Kim Deal-esque mid-tempo bass line, a haunting yet catchy vocal track seeped in teen lust and lamentation, and a few light touches of surf-inspired guitar to take some of the weight off. Other highlights include the beachy sunset vibes of “Whatever” and the light-hearted carefree rocker “Sweet Release” with its Lou Reed style talking vocal delivery.
All in all, Blend Inn is a strong second effort from a young band in the process of expanding and defining their sound, and it’s further confirmation that the future of rock is still looking bright.
