The Fumes are back with their sophomore album Sundancer. I must admit, before Sundancer crossed my desk, I hadn’t heard of the incredible Aussie rock duo. But this might just be the album to open up the ears of the Australian public and get them the recognition they so richly deserve.
Tunes like “Who Do You Love” and “Python for a Pillow” are straight down-the-line Aussie rock, with thumping chords, growling vocals, and a much bigger sound than you’d expect from a two-piece. These songs have such great energy on the playback, I can only imagine how they’d go off live.
But it’s when The Fumes take a step away from the mainstream sounds that their music really takes off. That’s when they show they’re much more than another pub rock outfit, derivative of Rose Tattoo or AC/DC. They find their own voice in the bluesier, more soulful numbers. “Slay the Liar” and “Cuddle up the Devil” possess the kind of cock-sure defiance I haven’t heard since The Cruel Sea. Quieter songs like “High City Lights” and “Sundancer” are so striking in their sparseness, giving us time to take a breath and revel in their beauty. And “Psychedelic Warlord” is just as much fun as the name suggests.
Sundancer is the kind of disc that hooks you from the first spin and grows richer with every listen. What a rare find.
Image source: own scan