Painkillers

got the painkillers in
     Acoustic guitar and drums might seem like a limiting set-up. But Perth duo The Painkillers coax so much out of it – from garage and country to blues and early rock. Passing references to those genres are dispensed as offhandedly as frontman Joe Bludge’s lyrics about women, drink, and other mixed blessings in life. The rock pedigree of drummer James Baker, meanwhile, has long been off the charts: his past bands include The Victims, The Scientists, The Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, and The Dubrovniks. He falls committedly into step with Bludge’s cautionary rambles, four of which he co-wrote on this punchy third album.

cd only