Album Review: Northeast Party House - Dare

It's hard to imagine Melbourne frat-pack Northeast Party House "taking it easy" and on Dare, they deny even the briefest reprieve from the dancefloor to nip to the loo. Then again, this is only their second album since forming in 2010.

Here is a band of delightful dichotomies : Snotty suburban whelps who make intelligent indie-dance. Zach Hamilton-Reeves yelps to "get fucked up" while synth hooks cut from the finest lines of '80s cocaine have you utterly addicted. Mad guitar breaks threaten to tumble the whole shebang into chaos, while chanting choruses keep you singing and bouncing. It's as if The Rapture, The Naked & Famous and Hot Chip had a marathon orgy with Northeast Party House slooping out as the fresher, shinier byproduct.

As a lyricist, Hamilton-Reeves troubles nobody with any big messages - he wants to party, be with you, go to your house and so forth, yet mercifully falls short of sounding like an utter douchecanoe. Fact is, all ten of these songs are so perfectly executed, they could each be released as singles with Dare re-repackaged in 18 months as a 'greatest hits'. Calypso Beach's electro throb is sweet and at the end, Love Machine splats everything left in the tank against the wall in a thunderous exhausting of the energies.

Just make sure you have reserves to see them live. You'll need it.