Review
– Mach Pelican
Self-titled debut CD on Shagpile through Shock!
Mach Pelican, Australian’s new Saints/Ramones
in today’s resurgence of punk. They relocated their brand of simple punk to Melbourne from the home of all trashy pop-culture things, and have become the next-big-thing overnight! Not that their self-titled debut album on Shagpile through Shock! won’t help things along!If
ever there was a collection of new (and old) songs that wasn’t afraid of
brandishing it’s influences high above its head, its “Mach Pelican”. This is straight-ahead New
York Dolls/Stooges/Ramones/Saints
(maybe even Birdman), no ifs,
buts or whats, right down to the band’s logo/effigy
(well, Ramones-only as far as that
goes)! While the current rave about nouveau-punk the likes of Grinspoon,
Frenzal Rhomb
and the Shagpile stable, Pennywise
and the Epitaph collection, etc, are very
90s, there’s nothing 90s about Mach Pelican, which is a little
refreshing if not trite: the leather, the simple song/chord structures, that
goddamned catchiness! These guys aren’t going anywhere in a helluva
hurry!
Standout
songs on this album include the single Dancing
in Chicago (which is also part of the CD ROM feature of this disc), the
touch of ska in Ursula…, and the
remake of the theme from the TV classic Gigantor
(speaking of trashy pop culture!).
“Mach Pelican” on
Shagpile through Shock! is punk rock the way is was
meant to be played: short, sharp, ‘next please!’ Slam dance, anyone?