Album Review: The Domnicks - Super Real

I may be a '90s baby, but, thanks to my dad's extensive vinyl collection, I grew up on more Stones than Spice Girls, more Born To Run than Barbie Girl. So when I put on The DomNicks' first full-length offering, Super Real, I knew I couldn't listen to this '80s rock-inspired album without my old man. Dom Mariani and Nick Shepherd formed The DomNicks five years ago on the back of some seriously big projects, with Shepherd once a member of The Clash, and Mariani a member of The Stems and DM3. It's rare for a Perth band to have such big credentials, so I was eager to have a listen.

We played the album loudly on a balmy Saturday evening and despite not being on vinyl, the CD is printed to look the part and the tunes that came from it could well have been from such an era. The opening track Cool Runnings is a ridiculously catchy, fun, summery tune and is followed by Reconcile, which could have come from a Stones record. This is the case with a lot of the tracks; the band have succeeded in making classic rock'n'roll that sounds like the giants of the genre, even if on occasion it wears those influences too closely. But then with these guys' pedigree, they pretty much are the influence! If you're after some good, easy rock music then Super Real will hit the spot. My favourite track was Colour Me Gone, full of sexy guitar riffs, Shepherd's husky vocals and palpable emotion; it's the band at their best.

The album's lyrics are simple rock'n'roll, and dad was, unfortunately, singing along in no time. I must admit, it was infectious. We will be keeping this one on rotation.