Dallas Crane
Dallas Crane
Alberts

Equal parts grunt and refined tenderness, Dallas Crane's self-titled effort comes on strong n' tender. "Dirty Hearts" revs things up appropriately and "Iodine" and "Open to Close" display a diversity and old blues/rock side, taking me back through time to Lobby Lloyd's Coloured Balls, Daddy Cool and Billy Thorpe's Aztecs.

"Wrong Party" - the verse in the vocal reminiscent of Masters Apprentices' "Because I Love You" - rocks straight and hard, though you wonder if they'll drop this song for US release, with the lyric "I'll put a jet in ya highrise" perhaps not going down a treat with the yanks! The album's anchor "Come Clean" is a masterpiece, displaying Dallas' skill for intricate twin guitar attack a la "Marquee Moon" (structure and all) updated with a little dirt and a taste of the dark side of relations with Dave Larkin's gritty delivery of "cos' I know where you was at last night / I don't wanna be your second man" refrain.

Their blues-tinged thing never becomes too 'roots' and they seem to have found a comfortable home in Alberts Productions (home of ACDC people-you might wanna check em out). They seem also to have found comfort in the company of producer Wayne Connolly, a marriage that can't be overstated with Connolly warming the production throne for other Australian music royalty such as Died Pretty, You Am I and Underground Lovers. You'll also find his name stamped across other outstanding recent releases; Skeleton Jar by Youth Group and Sleeping Fractures by Ides of Space.

Give the 'Tourette's and tantrums' Vines a rest (seeing as they're having one) and put the sponsor's favourites Jet to sleep cos' Dallas are here to rumble.

Copyright © 2004 Brian Stradbrook