Gaslight Radio
Good Heavens Mean Times
Love And Mercy/Shock

I love watching the music program 'Rage'. I love it even more when bands choose to program the artists you always thought would have been influential on them. On the contrary, when indie bands choose to play Beyonce or some random commercial crap just for the sake of being 'unpredictable', I hate it.

The other night on 'Rage', Youth Group chose to be one of the good bands. I thought they should pay homage to Australian indie stalwarts Gaslight Radio and they did - the classic Is By Bus, to be exact.

'Good Heavens Mean Times' is reported to have been inspired by the dark political landscape brought about by successive Howard governments. That's not to suggest that this album is overtly political or angry, but despite its relaxed vibe it does seem somewhat dark. Good Times For Bad People does kick along at times, led by a racing guitar, but then drops back to the slacker-rock tempo of the rest of the album. Hard For A Crumb is a quirky tale undergirded by a peculiar, almost marching-band drum beat.

The most striking strength of 'Good Heavens Mean Times' is the cruise-y attitude which has me nearly convinced that Gaslight Radio are barely even trying. However, it is the weakness of the hooks in their melodies that is likely to keep them from achieving commercial success; their tunes just aren't as compelling as they could be. The Jewel And The Falcon is a prime example of this cooler-than-thou sound, the smooth indie guitars and soft vocals can't help but bring back pleasant memories of Sonic Youth.

'Good Heavens Mean Times' isn't going to change the world, but it is a very welcome return to form by Gaslight Radio.

Scott Berry