Album Review: Mary Jane Kelly - 'Like There's No Tomorrow'
An early contender for the Australian album of the year.
Wollongong doesn’t have a lot going for it to be honest, but the one thing they do have going their way at the moment is Mary Jane Kelly. After touring fairly constantly after the release of their debut EP, “Our Streets Turn White”, the band headed into their mate’s garage in Wollongong to record their debut album “Like There’s No Tomorrow”.
The album’s opening track “Pigs Of Gluttony” is a perfect example of what you can expect during the album. The song shows of the band’s technical chops with some fast technical guitar work over the top of front man Justin Bortignon’s distinctive vocals. “Wallflowers” starts off with a bit more of a relaxed opening, before kicking into the song’s frantic pace. The second half of the song is quite impressive, and while it might not be one of the most technical parts of the album, it is still memorable enough. “Hell In Gold Leaf Palaces” was the first song released from the album, and it is one of the stronger tracks on the album. Lyrically this song is great. It’s obvious that Bortignon puts a lot of thought into the lyrics, which makes them stand out from a lot of other bands.
The following track “The Imprecision Of My Dimensions” features some of the more technical guitar parts on the album, some of the reminding me of the likes of Shai Hulud. The song’s clean singing part is catchy as hell, the vocals remind me of Patrick Stump’s voice, and I have actually had mistaken this part for a Fall Out Boy song numerous times when I first heard it. “Broken Hips, Burnt Cigars” is one of the most fast paced songs on the album, and Bortignon’s vocals are relentless. “With A Bang To Mute Our Whimpers”, “Filthy Lucre” and “If God Were Here...” are all great examples of how much the band’s songwriting has improved since the release of their EP.
The album’s stand out track “Weak, Corrupt, Worthless & Restless” contains what could possibly be known from now on as “the riff”. I remember being blown away by this track when I saw the band play it live, and I was even more impressed when I finally heard it recorded. Sections of this song wouldn’t sound out of place on an Every Time I Die record. The albums final track “It's Just The Abyss” closes out the album perfectly. The song sums up the album, showcasing the band’s songwriting ability.
The album is pretty much flawless start to finish. It is good enough to put Mary Jane Kelly at the top of the Australian hardcore pack, but only time will tell whether or not this happens. Make sure you catch the band at any of their upcoming shows if you get the chance.
1. Intro
2. Pigs Of Gluttony
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3. Wallflowers
4. Hell In Gold Leaf Palaces
5. The Imprecision Of My Dimensions
6. Broken Hips, Burnt Cigars
7. With A Bang To Mute Our Whimpers
8. Filthy Lucre
9. If God Were Here...
10. Weak, Corrupt, Worthless & Restless
11. It's Just The Abyss
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