Good Vibe

Soul Money Gang Vibe
Hit the Jackpot
Chapter, 2008
3.5 stars

Sometimes when I'm listening to Sebadoh I stupidly think to myself 'I reckon I could make music like this, like, really fucking easily'. Then when I go home and pick up my guitar - the poor, neglected foster child that it is - it becomes apparent that, despite its rough edges and bedroom aesthetic, a certain amount of pop savy is actually required to make the brand of slacker rock in which Lou Barlow and co excelled. Adelaide three-piece Hit the Jackpot are going for a similar thing here but, being musicians, they actually pull it off. Soul Money Gang Vibe is a really good yelpy-slacker record (a new musical genre, why not), with the unpolished spontaineity of early Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr, and the 'whatever' art-rock attitude that seems to be in vogue with the checkered shirt crowd. The boy/girl vocals and tight drumming are very Love of Diagrams, and therefore very Sonic Youth (especially on Fireplace), but who cares - these guys aren't trying to reinvent the wheel as much as trying to fit it to their vehicle.

Artwork: C+
Either these guys have tried to emulate the naive cut-and-paste artwork of The Freed Man and hit the nail on the first strike, or they've gone for something more sophisticated, missed and hit their thumb. These days indie kids will take any opportunity to dress up in costumes in the name of 'high-art', and the crowd pictured on the front and back of this album have spent some serious coin at Savers - surely the photographer could have moved his subjects out of the shade.

Published in mX, Thursday June 26, 2008.