LOVEJOY

Greatest Hits (Indie)

Kylie and Jeff Lovejoy are part of Brisbane’s rock and roll fabric. Possibly taking a cue from Van Halen and Bon Jovi, the pair used their family moniker to name their band. It’s a cool surname and, better still, it looks great on a t-shirt or on the front of this compilation. Jeff produces the music [sometimes with Magoo] and plays guitar, Kylie is on bass and they’re joined by Daniel Hack on vocals and Ross MacLennan on drums.

This collection runs to eleven tunes. Alongside the ten originals, the band have included a live cover of Bowie’s Moonage Daydream: which they performed alongside Charles Foster Kane as part of the 2004 Ziggy Stardust tribute at the Zoo.

The main event belongs to Lovejoy. After the opener, Do It Again, the band move into overdrive. The playing is tight, totally rocking and Hack sings like a champion. This is classic LA swagger-rock with more than a dash of seventies’ glam. One minute they’re recalling the Black Crowes, and, the next… well you can almost picture the long hair, knee high boots and a stage rig that could host Glastonbury. It’s nice to hear some light and shade in playing too. Stilt Walker is a great example. The band cook up a storm with a powerhouse riff, and then you’ll hear a shift in tempo, an acoustic guitar, and a neat bass run.

If you enjoy rock that likes to strut, well you can start here. In a parallel universe, Lovejoy are playing a stadium right now!

[rating: 4/5]

Sean Sennett