Friday, 17 January 2025
Reviews: Grave Digger, Dunes, Slinky Vagabond, Lifer (Liam Williams, Rich Piva, Dan Sierras & Matt Bladen)
Grave Digger – Bone Collector (ROAR/RPM) [Liam Williams]
Slinky Vagabond – The Eternal Return (Independent) [Dan Sierras]
On their third release, Keanan Duffty and Fabio Fabbri of Slinky Vagabond return with an eclectic mix of art rock, tinged with doses of piano and synth throughout. Joining them on this journey of rock and Brit pop are Mike Garson, Ava Cherry, Percy Jones and other guests on various tracks.
You can hear influences of David Bowie and The Beatles interwoven from track to track. Although on tracks like Ad Astra & Anthem, Mike Garson’s tickling of the ivories standout to me, especially towards the end as the notes cascade of the edge of the songs.
On an album mostly comprised of Brit pop, two songs that were memorable to me were deeper into the album. I enjoyed the opening guitar riff and drum beat on I Can Fly. The song does make you feel like you’re flying during the chorus with Fabbri’s majestic guitar work.
The banger Perfect World was probably my favourite off the album. More of a heavier track than the rest of the album. The appropriately named End Of The Show closes this album out, drifting out with a very familiar lyric similar to a famous Beatles track (you’ll have to listen to find out).
Upon first listen, this album didn’t grab me, but after multiple listens, it grew on me and wasn’t too bad. Give it a listen (or two) and see if it does the same for you. 7/10