Artist: The Sweet Lips
CD: From out of Nowhere
URL: https://the-sweetlips.com/
The Sweet Lips are a 3 piece band from down under. Australia can at times be a very beautiful place and it has its fair share of deadly and unpredictable weather lately. This might just be the perfect locale to explore the unpredictable realm of dark musical expression. This latest release delivers all of the above and will reveal all the a-typical conventions of today’s hard rock that so many enjoy her in the US. The band which features Daxton Monaghan (Guitars/Vocals), Eamon Pearson (Bass), Ritchie Catlin (Drums) does a good job at crating a solid dark sonic space for the listener to bask in. The first track “Little Child” lifts off the ground smoothly yet aggressively and is in itself a kick ass first statement to say the least. It was compelling and gravitated me right away like a magnet. All songs present a stunning collection of music that effectively runs the rock gamut and has much to offer insofar as impressive music and captivating vocals from Monaghan Music reminds me of material from Stone Temple Pilots, Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age, Electric Wizard, Orange Goblin, Karma to Burn, Skin Yard and more aggressive material from Soundgarden. One cannot help but admire artists with strong songwriting skills and truthful conviction all the while demonstrating a strong a level of creativity. One senses a growing ambition as this CD from The Sweet Lips advances. Monaghan and his crew demonstrate appealing guitar and vocals that really hit the mark and with intellectually stimulating lyrics that are a bit mysterious but highly entertaining. The musicianship is rock steady and the overall production value tows the line. All in all a great set of songs. Speaking of which notable standouts for me include: Little Child, Method of Science, Nemesis and Oxygen. Down is a great wrap.
If you want a melodic rocking staple there’s something on this record for you. Obviously many old school rockers will fall head over heels with The Sweet Lips, especially here along the West Coast. This is one band that’s set up rather well for mainstream success outside Australia and beyond this year. Some of this plays into strong marketability potential world wide. Some pieces present more modern sounding overtones but despite all this the flavor possess traditional Rock n’ Roll textures with some traditional Heavy-Blues thrown in. This is really what makes The Sweet Lips so enticing to me personally. This band possesses an impressive and youthful look and sound. This latest release grants one rare access to peer into the soul of a quintessential artist and tormented soul that none of us can get enough of – past and present.
We need more bands like The Sweet Lips immediately.
Hilary Johnston