Album Review: Little Bastard - Little Bastard

Little Bastard are at their best when they play their particular brand of country-punk music at such a blisteringly fast pace that the friction of their fingers on the banjo and mandolin strings becomes a fire hazard. In fact, this seven-piece outfit from Sydney's Inner West had a gig end prematurely because of a set-off fire extinguisher – whether it was a result of their explosive performance or not is unconfirmed.

Their self-titled debut LP however lacks the spark of their live performances. Having dubbed themselves as just another rock'n'roll band (albeit with a harmonica and fiddle in tow), several tracks on the record, such as Crosses On The Highway and Be My Kind, sound like the lovechildren of a Paul Kelly and Rick Springfield mating. Which could be incredible. Unfortunately, the aforementioned tracks lack Kelly's lyrical storytelling, and without the assistance of the band's renowned high energy levels, they feel somewhat lifeless.

That said, the lightning quick tempo of I Just Want You Home, Bodies In The Water and first single, High For You, will keep toes tapping and the raucously dancing listeners happy. And Desert Roller, with its slower, flowing melody and pinpoint harmonica, will evoke images of Midwest America, cowboy spurs and spaghetti Westerns.

The band is named after the car that James Dean died in, which was supposedly cursed. But Little Bastard should be able to avoid a similar fate if they continue to make music capable of setting off smoke detectors.