It's been a long time between drinks for Sydney band Thirsty Merc, but after around half a decade, they're back at it.

Shifting Gears is a decent return into the scene, albeit a little bit of a cold opening. Often criticised for being rather middle-of-the-road, the group unapologetically sticks to their guns and writes the songs for their own sake — commendable to say the least.

Nothing about this album particularly suggests a drastic change in pace or direction (or shifting of gears, so to speak), yet the Merc has turned out another reasonable piece of material.