My favourite new Antipodean band, part blah, blah, blah. Levity, the latest album from Australian quartet The Stroppies is a record that will immediately appeal to lovers of Australian and New Zealand bands from way back when like Go Betweens, The Bats, The Chills, The Clean, The Verlaines and, oh well, you know. That lot.
The Stroppies have plenty of the specific wonky charm that make those bands so enduringly treasurable. The Stroppies seem to owe a particular debt to early Television before Richard Hell was asked to pack his bags and leave the bamd by an exasparated Tom Verlaine because he yearned to be taken seriously and Hell insisted on being a goofy junkie instead.
It's precisely the ragged, angular approach that made and still makes the early incarnation of that band so appealing, that fuels The Stroppies tank. Levity jangles and chimes and doesn't make complete cohesive sense which only makes the likes of me want to go back and listen again until it does. It's clearly a truly wonderful record, tailor made for those who love this noble rehearsal room musical heritage.
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