The last time we heard from Maisie Everett, she was a member of Melbourne punks CLAMM, contributing bass and punchy extra vocals to their arresting second album, especially on dual-voiced anthems like ‘Monday’. Everett had joined CLAMM in between records, but not long after the release of ‘Care’ she decided to exit in order to focus on her main outfit.
In The Belair Lip Bombs, Everett is front and centre, not just departing from CLAMM’s glowering post-punk but moving between a spirited range of styles. In fact, there’s an eclectic quality to debut album ‘Lush Life’ that might sound unfocused in another band, but Everett and company are so honed and controlled on each track that we’re brought right along for every swerve and sidestep. It helps that the songs are short and naggingly catchy, and that bassist Jimmy Droughton and drummer Liam De Bruin provide such unwavering momentum for Mike Bradvica’s versatile lead guitar and Everett’s equally varied vocal turns. (She also plays guitar and keyboard across the record.)
Hooky from its first second, opener ‘Say My Name’ takes a scuffed, scrappy approach to jangly punk. The following ‘Gimme Gimme’ is tighter and more wiry, and we can already hear Everett pushing her vocals in new directions. Her higher, almost hiccupping delivery of the ultra-melodic chorus evokes The B-52s, and she has admitted to the song echoing the kitsch factor of ’80s rock. Just a song later, ‘World Is the One’ skips ahead a decade with heavy distortion – on vocals and guitar alike – very much in the wheelhouse of ’90s alt-rock.
Those flashes to specific points in the past continue with the lighter and friskier ‘Stay or Go’, pairing Smiths-esque guitar melodies with a slightly altered lyrical quote of The Clash’s eternal question: “Should I stay or should I go?” ‘Easy on the Heart’ sits closer to Talking Heads, setting open and airy vocals over a percolating rhythmic pulse. By stark contrast, the following ‘Look the Part’ is dark and brooding, with Everett adopting more baleful singing. Serrated slices of guitar and a surprise bass solo punctuate the standout track (and single) before it culminates in group call-and-response vocals and mounting effects.
By the time we get to album closer ‘Suck It In’, The Belair Lip Bombs’ consistent balancing of punchy, direct songwriting with subtle twists is evident. That song skews even more melodic with a parting trumpet line from Sarah Hellyer, introducing another layer of bright potential to this introductory affair. Melbourne producer Nao Anzai (who also helmed CLAMM’s ‘Care’) captures it all with crisp immediacy, making ‘Lush Life’ play like a promising preview reel for the band’s live show.
More than that, the record points toward several future directions for The Belair Lip Bombs: somewhere between punk, post-punk, jangle pop and new wave. Of course, they don’t need to settle on just one – variety suits them just fine.
