Firebird – Buildin A Hot Rod
Independent release
Buildin’ a Hot Rod. Always Rockin 88. Local Honky Tonk. Lonely Hotel.Well All Right, Well OK. Vampira. Fire Up the Motor. If I Ain’t Got You. Knock Knock Knockin. Itchin’ Scratchin. Hot Rod Woman. Cryin’ I’m So Blue. Back Door Slammer
Australia have always provided some good rockers and quality bands and this trio will not contradict this assertion. It should be said that the three blokes have already some solid experience : Chris Nomad the double bass player and singer theethed with the Hilbilly Hellcats in Los Angeles, Pete Belair received the “Tamworth Golden Guitar award” at the age of 18 years and Matt De Ville is a hard-hitter (of drumskins of course!).The arsonist name of the band (even if it’s a bird story) and the title of their first album “Buildin’ a Hot Rod” summarizes the situation rather well. A hot-rod is an home-made powerful but bare vehicle and that is what this band and first album are all about : some 13 self penned and produced songs are the body of that firebird hot-rod and the roaring engine is made up of without tricks energy and power but with the “guitar/bass/drums” simple but fully tried and tested old magic formula. This formula had already been exploited in the early eighties by the Stray Cats and more recently by Brian Setzer with his “68 Comeback” which is without any question a reference of the Firebird trio. It sounds clear listening to the first eponymous track. Another influence may also be The Paladins and other energetic bands as Batmobile. The guys have suckled both from the pioneers breast (some Cochran, Elvis and Sun sounds like their “love my baby inspired” “Back Door Slammer”) but also from the bosom of modernity and their rockabilly, blues, honky-tonk songs are wrapped up in electricity and mighty slappin bass even sprinkled with some psychobilly (“Vampira”). To summarize this more than promising first album I could say “It smells good fatty motor oil”
Check their site at www.firebirdtrio.com
Dave “Long Tall” Phisel
