Tenth Court: Black light (2014)

It’s getting fucking hot right now in Oz. You can’t help but feel sapped, lethargic and irritated. After scratching them mozzie bites i.e infernal QLD itch for months you can now look to Martyr Privates/Thigh Master split CS to alleviate the sting. Thigh Master dip their toes in the current wave of Aussie underground pop. Single, ‘Goon Punch’ makes good on its promise of pugilism the vocal melody will leave you giddy for days. What is most apparent about Thigh Master is their strong grasp on the machinations of a pop song. The guitars shimmer and jangle like a Hawaiian babe doing the hula-hoop. The bass manages to accentuate the melodies and also keeps the whole thing tight and compact. Utilitarian drums punch through the mix, which means Thigh Master aren’t slacking off as much as they’d like us to lead us to believe. ‘GAB CAB’ intro is something straight out of the Guided By Voices indie playbook. Which turns out to be sleight of hand as the rest of the tune recalls Brisbane’s own Go-Betweens. Martyr Privates dial back the reverb of their past releases. This results in the songs being more immediate and more urgent. ‘Black Light’ wields a riff that never lets up it smacks of something Old Coot Richards’ would have made-up circa ’71. Martyr Privates are not looking to reference anyone rather they’re in the business of good, old-fashioned rock n roll. ‘Pale Lunch’ is straight-up stone-age shoegaze. Stripped of the garb and masturbation it more closely resembles the forbearers sounding not unlike early stomp of Jesus and the Mary Chain. MP’s are not afraid to drop the anvil repeatedly on your head when they damn well please. Some words from the wise Mark E Smith, “All you daughters and sons, who are sick of fancy music, we dig repetition” etc-uhh. With the repetition the heat fades into the background. What is left is two Brisbane bands, two songs a piece who take different approaches with their song-craft yet both end with same impressive result.