Mission Brown – Moorabbin

www.facebook.com/missionbrownband

self release

10 songs time-35:48

Punk attitude meets Hill Country Blues or as their promo sheet declares-Lo-Fi Hillbilly Trainwreck Blues. This trio from Victoria, Australia possesses a gritty energy powered by raucous lead, slide and rhythm guitars and a foot-operated drum kit. Gus Kelly plays the stripped down drum kit and rhythm guitar simultaneously. Max Maxey handles all lead, slide and cigar box guitars, while James Crosland provides bass and percussion. All three contribute vocals. They take their cue from the likes of RL Burnside, whom they cover twice here, and Junior Kimbrough. Both icons of the Hill Country Blues. It’s all fast paced action here with an incessant beat and slide guitar skills galore. The raw vocals fit hand and glove with this ball of fire music.

Let the games begin as slide guitar and a rough voice play out over an incessant beat were Hill Country Blues gets punky on “Feed The Family”. There is a bit of what sounds like un-credited organ in there as well. A nicely shuffling boogie beat infuses “High Blues”. “Move To The Country”‘s loping beat kinda swooshes you along before you know what’s hit ya. “Going Home” is a hillbilly saga set against a loping beat. “The trouble with a livin’ is that ya gotta get a gun”.

“She No Good”, “Ann Marie” and “Whiskey Breath” are three band originals with driving beats to spare. It all deals with drinking and other hillbilly-ish doings. it all adds up to a sh-t kickin’ barrel of fun.

Tribute is paid to one of their major influences RL Burnside with cover versions of his “See My Jumper On The Line” and “Poor Black Mattie”. Both receive slightly toned down treatments with smoother vocals, but are none the less effective.

The grungy closer “3am Blues” deals a woman in a bar begging for drink. Be forewarned it contains a few “F-bombs”.

This happy-go-lucky beat infused crazy good music was “forged in the backwaters and bayous of the Moorabbin Industrial estate, Victoria, Australia. It’s a guaranteed good time. Crank it up loud and piss off or please your neighbors. Kick back with it on your front porch with a Mason jar fulla “shine” and have yerself a hound dog kickin’ gud time. Put another possum on the “barbie” and I’ll be right over.