Lush Life, the 2023 debut album by Melbourne four-piece the Belair Lip Bombs, is the kind of punchy, hook-laden rock record that hardly gets made any more, straightforward in sound but borderline unassailable in its construction. Principal songwriter Maisie Everett, formerly of the garage rock trio Clamm, has a singular knack for writing earworm hooks: Lush Life’s first 10 minutes alone contain some of the most catchy choruses of the past year, their melodic directness (and the songs’ clean, loud production) strongly recalling the Strokes circa Room on Fire.
And much like the Strokes, the pop simplicity of the Belair Lip Bombs’ songs tends to mask their complexity. Nearly every song finds Everett’s guitar and vocal lines interlocking seamlessly with guitarist Mike Bradvica, bass player Jimmy Droughton and drummer Liam de Bruin. Everett delivers her lyrics, mostly headrush romantic narratives that match the frenetic pace and intensity of the songs themselves, with a louche, swaggering tone. On some tracks, like the noisy World Is the One, she sings as if her mouth is never really closing, giving them an appealing, shouty quality; on Easy on the Heart, she adopts a sweet, 60s girl-group cadence.
Although the band have only released one album, they’ve played shows in Australia with international indie acts like the Beths and Blondshell, and recently performed at SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The earnest directness of the music is distinct from much else being made in Australia right now, and it’s hard to see them staying a regional secret for much longer.
• The Belair Lip Bombs will tour the UK and Europe until 25 May
