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Laura Hill And The Tuesday Bandits
Over My Shoulder
It’s Ready
Are you looking for something a little rock, a little challenging, a little innovative, a little nasty? ‘Over My Shoulder’ is absolutely none of these things. It is, however, well-rounded, melodic, gentle and, for a local debut, impressively on par with many a more established artist’s output.
Local songstress Laura Hill writes invariably catchy songs in a country/ rootsy/ surfy vein. Her lyrics capture a simple, innocent, optimistic and wide-eyed worldview, and although occasionally rhyme is privileged over depth of meaning, generally there is a good balance between the upbeat and the poignant. Hill’s accent is endearingly Aussie without being ocker, and her voice is reminiscent of Angie Hart’s, especially on songs such as Forget About It, which is outrageously sunny and singable and just manages not to tumble into the saccharine.
The production on ‘Over My Shoulder’ is crisp, clean and professional, though this is at the expense of the relaxed feel evident in the Bandits’ live show – probably a fair trade on balance. The album showcases the tight musicianship of the band, and it contains a few extra, mostly-welcome touches that build upon the standard folksy finger-picking guitar format. The recording of Tongue Tied, for example, with its reggae-inflected bass, country banjo, whistling and bassoon, builds from a cute but simple song to an arrangement so damn bubbly it really should be on a health insurance ad.
Laura Hill And The Tuesday Bandits have created a solid debut with ‘Over My Shoulder’, which is particularly impressive considering it’s a self-driven effort. It’s a baking biscuits on a Sunday afternoon kind of record: exceedingly pleasant, warm, sweet and, well... civilised.
Emily Heylen
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