It was only three short years ago that the Melbourne, Australia, natives known as Skybombers made their splash into the American garage rock scene with their debut album Take Me to Town. The albumâs lead single, âIt Goes Offâ, was a semi-hit for the band, but most of their notoriety in the scene came from extensive touring in the US and abroad. Unfortunately for a band like Skybombers, the challenges to stay relevant in the states while being mired in a genre that saw its heyday decades ago are abundant. One might expect a progressive leap in creativity or, at the very least, a few bold tweaks in sound from the band on their second offering. Sadly, this not the case with Black Carousel.
The album starts off promisingly enough with âLove Me Like You Used to Doâ, an extremely catchy number marked by Hugh Gurneyâs gruff, everyman vocals, a lovely key track, and a upbeat tempo that suits the bandâs style. This is the type of song a band like Skybombers thrives on. Itâs a track whose sound pays homage to great alt-rock of the past while maintaining a pace and attitude that still feels current and relevant. Had the band been able to harness this throughout the course of the album, they may very well have had a very good record on their hands. Unfortunately, as they say, itâs all downhill from here.
The bandâs lead single, âLiesâ, attempts to piggyback on the opening trackâs sound, but fails in its own premise, which is to tell us about the usefulness of lies. Gurneyâs attempt at storytelling about his childhood fibbing does little to expand on the definition of the word. You could get the same idea by picking up the Merriam-Webster and achieve about the same level of enjoyment. The painful songwriting seeps into âEverybodyâ, which features a chorus of âUp here I see everybody / In here Iâll be anybody / Weâll never know just where we are, but here we standâ. I canât decide whether the song is a lesson in existential nihilism, a nod to last decadeâs emo culture, or if itâs just plain bad writing.
Itâs hard to settle on the latter, as Gurney, at times, shows flashes of brilliance. This is perhaps best seen in âAll at Seaâ, an extremely relatable song that touches on the sinking feeling of lost love as he exclaims âAgain you tell me that time will ease the pain / And then I say âI fucking hate your confidence.ââ Itâs also evident that, despite what we find in âLiesâ, Gurney is also able to tell a story, as showcased in the pub song âOne for Twoâ. Unfortunately, the band continues to trip itself up with momentum killers like the title track, âBlack Carouselâ. Another depressing number, âBlack Carouselâ is not only lyrically poor, but the pace is so slow and muddied that it throws the entire flow of the album off course.
Fortunately for Skybombers, theyâre able to finish off the album with two of their strongest tracks, âSister Jealousyâ and âJenny and the Nightâ, both of which reflect some of the promise found in the albumâs opening track. However, this is what makes Skybombersâ Black Carousel so frustrating. Itâs clear that the talent is there and that the band truly care about their craft, but their inability to maintain even a portion of that flare throughout the course of the album is extremely disappointing. A sticker on the front of the album proclaims that âthey may just be the next big stars of garage rock.â This could very well be so. But in order for that dream to come true, Skybombers will need more than just a catchy opening number and a few pleasant moments along the way. Theyâll need to craft a great album.