The Streamliners
Under The Moondogs
Independent


Adelaide band, The Streamliners, despite being clearly very good at what they do, could well be from anywhere. Nick Kipridis' vocals are capable right throughout this album, but the slight tinge of Americana that creeps in proves enormously irritating. It adds nothing to their album to be singing about "Rollin' with the devil in a '37 Ford" either, but it's there.

The Streamliners clearly understand the blues and roots genre and take their cues from the best sources they could - it's authentic in tone, at least. That raises one very obvious question, and one very obvious problem, though...

Firstly, does anyone actually need a tonally authentic delta blues album from a bunch of guys from Adelaide? If The Drones' 'Gala Mill' a few months back proved anything, it's that Australian bands can acknowledge their heritage without it sounding ridiculous.

More to the point, though, the album's aping of the genre completely fails to include the most important element - soul. 'Under The Moondogs' is the sound of a band who can play well, but it's uninspiring.

The Streamliners' album is polished, technically proficient and passionless and forgettable. For all their maturity in years, The Streamliners 'Under The Moondogs' is disappointingly derivative.

Alistair Wallis