Album Review: Electric Mary - Mother

You can’t blame a mosquito for biting you – that’s just what they do. Similarly, you can’t knock Melbourne rockers Electric Mary for tapping their bottomless well of swaggering rock'n'roll – it’s just what they’ve always done. Since 2003, the five-piece has seen little need to change things up, instead sticking to what they, admittedly, do well – clean vocals, shredding guitars and some indulgent jams.

But is that enough? There is no denying the capabilities of leading man Rusty Brown and his players, and the deft production on Mother itself. The opening clanging guitars and raspy anthem in Gimme Love are classic rock, How Do You Do It bookends a high-wire vocal with a dizzying guitar riff and some thumping bass, and The Way You Make Me Feel unloads with punchy ferocity. 

And yet there is little else that offers something different to the legions of bands, albums and songs that came before Mother. A slight quirk or an Electric Mary stamp other than Brown’s voice might have redeemed it. But when somewhat predictable chord progressions and kit build-ups are its bread and butter, the whole thing’s a bit stale.