FaceWork - The Rainy Days
Garage rock has never seemed as inspired as this. The guitar riffs, pounding floor tom, and thumping bass still lie at the front of the sound, but the soulful saxophone of Tom Dale and subtle piano lines played by Angel give the music a new colour and life. Davy G's lyrics sound fresh and are delivered in the driest rock tones. Bass player Karin switches between the heavy rock of her other group, the Rock'n'Roll Machine, and a more funky approach. These grooves are complimented by drummer Aimee Egdell, who plays all manner of percussion and is even joined at one point by the sound of a bouncing ping pong ball, which adds another layer of rhythm to the track Swing That Thing. The uncredited banjo on It's a Way Out is also a deft touch to one of the album's catchiest tracks. Throughout the album, the production work by Bob Frisbee (Frisbee Studios) and Riche Sunjangle is surprisingly clean, but retains a definite live feel that gives the recordings a raw edge and provides some of the punch on more upbeat numbers such as the title track and Way Out West. If you haven't heard the Rainy Days before, now is the time to check them out; if you have, now is the time to rediscover them.
By Gareth Shute
Review kindly provided by NZ Musician magazine
