The Meanies were
a great band. When history is, as it invariably will
be, recalculated
and reassessed in the coming eons, they’ll go down
as one of the archetypal early-to-mid 1990’s Australian
alternative music acts.
While Link McLennan’s follow-up band, the psychedelic
pop act the Tomorrow People, didn’t quite hit with
the same power, his sheer songwriting ability pulled
things through. It’s the same with his new band,
the Bakelite Age, and their debut album Malleable
Demons Plus Q.
“The Dead Play Well” gets it off to a rip-roaring
rock ‘n roll beginning, with the guitars soaring
and McLennan howling like a blues man inspired. While
McLennan has spoken of his frustration at finding
a consistent sound, Malleable Demons Plus Q makes
it clear that all he really wants to do is rock out.
It gives the album quite a raw sound, but it’s
levied by the sheer hip-shakin’ enjoyableness of
the songs – even when he’s laying on a pop melody
there’s no doubt that Malleable Demons Plus Q is
a determined, focussed and clearly quite catchy rock
record.
