SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SKEGSS – PACIFIC HIGHWAY MUSIC

SKEGSS
PACIFIC HIGHWAY MUSIC
LOMA VISTA RECORDINGS

Just in time for a southern hemisphere summer, Aussie surf-rock legends, Skegss, are back with their third studio album, Pacific Highway Music, set for release October 18^th.

Lovingly named after the beautiful stretch of highway that graces the Northern New South Wales coast, the album is set to do commercially well here in Australia, however, like many Australian exports, the album might not have the same reach globally. The album has been on my mind since its announcement, and I’m glad to say after the first couple of listens, I am pleased with the release to come, and I know that there’s a single in this album for everyone.

The Australian surf-rock sound is distinctive and unwavering, however Skegss seem to have taken a new approach to the sound of this album, allowing for the sound to have almost grunge elements and more complex themes compared to their prior albums. Pacific Highway Music is a surefire way to introduce your grunge rock-lovers into the vast world of Australian surf-rock, with tracks such as “Spaceman” and “Batten Down The Hatches” are sure to be chart-toppers this coming October.

However enjoyable the album is on the surface, it is hard to find something about the work that makes it stand out from the crowd. Sure, the album has some new and experimental elements from Ben Reed and Jonny Lani, but the album as a whole tends to fall into the same-same of surf-rock, and frankly? It’s getting boring. The tracks beautifully compliment each other to create a strong and steady sound, and all the songs are both well-written and well-composed, but Pacific Highway Music simply isn’t offering the refreshment the Australian music scene needs. Despite this, key songs on the record “Tradewinds” and “High Beaming” are well worth the listen, and if you like those, there’s no doubt that the rest of the album is for you.

Sometimes simplicity is great, and that’s what Skegss has offered us with this upcoming album. Pacific Highway Music will not be the album of the year by any means, but it has some enjoyable singles and is worth an initial listen.

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