Early
on in 2001, a 4-piece from Melbourne released their
debut LP onto the largely-unsuspecting public. Motor
Ace had been gaining a reputation as one of Australia's
up-and-comers, and had gathered a small, steady
fanbase, but the success of "Five Star Laundry"
was incredible. It entered the Aria chart at #4
and suddenly the band were getting national - and
worthy - attention.
"Five
Star Laundry" was driven by anthemic-like rock tunes,
with catchy choruses and a big sound which trascended
into their live shows. Thanks to the second single,
"death defy", being picked up as the theme song
for "The Secret Life Of Us", Motor Ace soon started
to become a known name.
In
the wait for their new album, many wondered if Patrick,
Matt, Dave and Damian could outdo such a stunning
debut. When "Shoot This" finally hit the shelves,
it became perfectly apparent that they had.
Opening with the first single, "Carry On" sets the
pace for what is a mature yet ambitious album. The
song has an undeniably infectious melody, driven
by soaring string arrangements and the ambient,
haunting vocals of frontman Patrick Robertson. It
sets the listener up perfectly for the remainder
of the record.
The
album in general is full of warm, lush sounds, and
one of Motor Ace's drawcards is that they can not
only write great songs that strike you, but they
have the talent to make them sound grand without
seeming false or contrived. Moving, genuine lyrics
backed by catchy tunes with big choruses are what
this band is about.
"Pieces"
and "Ride The Wave" follow in the same vein of "Five
Star Laundry", with great singalong choruses that
are destined to become live favourites. Second single
"Keeping Secrets" starts off slowly and builds into
a strong, standout track. "Where Did You Go?" is
both intense and flowing, and proves that this is
not an album with filler, but an incredible collection
of fantastic songs that can all hold their own.
"When The Feeling's Gone" closes the record in a
gorgeous acoustic moment, complete with melodies
that sound like they are coming from musicians who
have been doing this sort of thing for decades.
"Shoot
This" will cement Motor Ace a name as one of the
best young bands in Australia, and the accessible
sounds will no doubt see them reach an even wider
audience than before. This is a shining, sincere
and sparkling effort, from four extremely talented
guys who are set to go very far.
Tracklisting:
1. carry on
2. opportunity
3. pieces
4. feathers
5. keeping secrets
6. ride the wave
7. shoot this
8. for yourself
9. where did you go?
10. when the day falls
11. when the feeling's gone
Reviewed
by Sarah Moses
