Review Summary: Sputnik Review #175, in which Sunnyvale learns that Australiana is a thing
I had thought I’d prove my cleverness once more by dubbing Quality Used Cars’ second full-length “Australiana”, given its blend of country, folk, and rock while hailing from the land down under. Then I visited the group’s Bandcamp page and saw that they’d already used that very phrase prominently to label their own music, therefore demonstrating that I’m just an ignorant lifelong resident of the northern hemisphere.
Despite that grave setback, I’m still sharing my thoughts on
Quality of Life, as it’s an intriguing little record. First off, it is a thoroughly enjoyable record instrumentally, built upon a rock-solid foundation of crunching guitars and tasteful harmonica. Secondly, it provides us with an
interesting vocalist - Francis Tait’s voice is off-kilter and unorthodox, to say the least. He’s the gruff Aussie narrator of the album’s very well-crafted and dusty tales, and while a few spoken word moments here and there might be a bit much, his unique delivery tends to add to the LP’s distinctive and rustic character.
Throughout, this record’s atmosphere is reminiscent of the feeling of hazy heat in dingy surroundings - kinda like the vibe of the cover art. The lyrics tend to balance between stark depression and maintaining a sense of raw vitality, the type of delicate dance which often works so well in this style of music. There’s a fair amount of Bob Dylan influence - “Since the World’s Been Turning Upside Down” recalls ‘60s-era “talkin’ blues” and there’s a song here called “When My Ship Comes In”, only one word different than the title of a legendary cut off
The Times They Are A-Changin’, among other things, but there’s enough variation here that it in no way comes across as pastiche.
This is the type of album where every listener may gravitate towards a different song as their favorite, but the tunes are reliably very good, and sonically nicely varied. The opener is built around its musing chorus - “
if the moon were a mirror, would you like what you see?”, while “Me and Damon Drinking Beers at the Grandview Hotel” is a hybrid philosophical treatise/story of two buddies getting drunk. “Slow News Day”, meanwhile, adds to the album’s blurred-out feel with its slow ramble and hushed vocals. The record’s last two songs are some of the finest, leaving on a high note - “I’ve Never Felt More Alive”, while slow-paced (like most of the material here), is a great guitar jam, while closer “Ain’t That the Way it Goes” is beautifully weepy.
Turns out that
Quality of Life by Quality Used Cars is a
quality album. While fairly low-key throughout, its easy-going pacing and well-executed musicianship and lyricism combine for an excellent product, particularly for warm weather listening. While the lead singer’s vocals are certainly not for everyone, those who can stomach the idea of an Australian Bob Dylan or John Prine would be remiss to skip this one. Step on up and grab yourself a wonderfully quirky slab of Australiana!
