Shiny Brights, The - Too Many Chiefs (EP)
» The JD Set - Prince of Wales, Vic - May 29, 2009
The Shiny Brights. They are a rock band. They have lyrics like “There’s no lovin’ in the city” and “Too many chiefs, not enough Indians”.
They play nothing out of the ordinary and make me groan audibly.
I did a marathon procrastination lap while trying to review this CD. I just didn’t want to say things like “Indie rock guitar riffs in beige, please? Check” or “Please, sir, can I have some more generic rock?” but, well, the time has come, the walrus said.
The Shiny Brights are astute enough musicians; they can all play their instruments well, and they have good song structure, if a little tired and broad. Singer Wolfgang (sorry, best name ever, I must say) is an adequate vocalist in terms of the standards set by indie rock singers of the past.
But if I had heard this on the radio, I would be at pains to pinpoint five or six bands it might be, let alone this Adelaidian five-piece. 'Not Too Old' is pretty catchy, with its flying, classic rock riffage and call-and-response chorus.
The point being, The Shiny Brights are seemingly a patchwork quilt of other well-established artists of similar ilk, especially on The Strokes-via-Kings of Leon Take No More.
Listenable, but not exemplary.
