by Julianne Akers (@JulianneEAkers)
Melbourne’s Alien nose job does all of it, and its sole member Jake Robertson reveals off this capacity, and shines whereas doing it, on his sixth, most recent album, The Derivative Sounds Of…Or…A Dog Always Returns To Its Vomit. That mouthful of phrases doesn’t even begin to painting the big selection of musical kinds Robertson touts on his fall 2023 launch. The document channels all the things from 60s model storage punk to jangle and energy pop. A western, however not fairly Americana, mystique hovers over the document, most notably in “Zipped Up,” that includes a cinematic rattling sound paying homage to a lone rock-and-roller-turned-cowboy wandering the dusty roads.
“The Smile” begins with a gentle strum sample that’s swiftly overtaken by synthesizer and organ elements, capturing the innate bleakness of this document, which isn’t to say it isn’t vigorous. “The Punisher Was Cool” follows that uneasiness the place Robertson sings a few kind of hellscape with repeated references to smoke and hearth. He burns this into reminiscence by singing (and yelling), “Sweat was pourin’ out / And doubt was creepin’ in / Why are you looking at me? / Why are you talking to me?… What am I doing in this place? / I’ve gotta get out of this place.”
“Stories of Love” leans right into a punk persona with hints of 60s-surf-rock-esque guitar riffs. The songwriting on this monitor options romantic analogies with simply sufficient edge – “You move me like a tectonic plate / You fit me just like a latex glove / You grip me hard cause we’re in love.” His vocals dance across the mic, however the instrumentals do all the actual speaking. “Second Chance” slides in with some fuzzy guitar and semi-groovy bass rhythms with angsty vocals that really feel like Robertson’s placing his foot down.
The remaining monitor, “Errors of the Past,” seals the cope with dominant chord progressions and clashing drums, proving that this document is a mashup of surprising genres that mix collectively so completely, with not one of the daring leaps completed for present, however songs which can be actual and genuine, in all their glory.
