Album Review: Husky - Ruckers Hill

13 October 2014 | 2:32 pm | Roshan Clerke

"At its best, Ruckers Hill peaks majestically"

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Melbourne band Husky return with the follow-up to their debut album, Forever So, released during the mountainous heights of the folk-pop explosion of 2012. The new album finds the band facing the challenge of sounding relevant in a market that’s been saturated with banjos and introspection.

Lead singer and songwriter Husky Gawenda aims for an anthemic sound on the title track, named after an idyllic spot in Northcote, Melbourne, where he used to live. The ambitious song rises in pace, as new drummer Arron Light propels the band into a chorus cascading with crystal-clear harmonies that beg to be sung along with.

In merging the band’s trademark penchant for including detailed descriptions in their lyrics with a bold, stadium-ready sound, Husky seem poised to deliver on their promise of a bigger and better album. The sepia organ tones of I’m Not Coming Back firmly root the band in their own sonic territory, the song taking a bluesy detour for some call and response. Fats Domino is a further highlight, taking the listener right into the detail of Gawenda’s wonderings as he drifts in and out of hipster cafés.

Despite this promise, many of the other songs on Ruckers Hill fall victim to an unfortunate combination of pleasant but forgettable songwriting and music. At its best, Ruckers Hill peaks majestically, while at its worst, it slumps into the vast sea of other indistinguishable folk-rock records released recently.