The Mess Hall - For The Birds (2009)

Review by Liam Tracey

Sydney’s rockers The Mess Hall are back with their third album, "For The Birds", the follow up to 2007’s "Devil's Elbow".

The album certainly has big boots to fill, what with their debut scoring the Australian Music Prize a couple of years back. So instead of making any grand transformations, the duo have stuck to the style that brought them such successes in the first place.

The result is ten tracks of wired rock and roll, sometimes calm, but more often driving a mighty edgy sound right through your ears.

Having recently seen Jed Kurzel and Cec Condon performing a preview of the new material at the East Brunswick Club, it is fair to say that a lot of the songs on "For The Birds" have been written with the stage in mind.

Past live reviews of the band have praised their energy, and it was still certainly there upon their return show in October. What is even better is that the energy transfers onto the record for the most part, and the rockier numbers are certainly better for it.

Tracks like opener My Villain and first single Bell take on the driving repetition that was key on the Mess Hall’s first album and you can hear the progressive energy as these tracks move on.

Unfortunately, Bell, as a lead single, doesn’t quite live up to Keep Walking, the almighty hit from "Devil's Elbow" and whilst its hooks are quite engaging, it doesn’t hit the peak of its predecessor.

Bare rightly makes up for this, though. At nearly six minutes in length, it progresses ever so slightly into its fast and strident end, whilst keeping the repetitive bass line underneath to etch the song in your mind.

Not to mention it contains the best lyric of the record:

“The three things you need / If you’re ever on your own / Chuck Berry, Havana moon and a home.”

The layered percussion in New Ornithology is complemented perfectly by Kurzel’s powerful vocal, making for another formidable track on the disc.

In comparison to Bare, it stands out for being heavy in its entirety, rather than trying to be subtle in its beginnings. Sinister bass returns then returns in The Switch, accompanied by deep piano, for a late highlight of the record.

Interestingly, the record ends with a much more subdued moment. Swing Low is a gentler, piano led number that will prick and ear simply because it’s not what you’d expect.

Given that the Mess Hall’s live show is a rollicking delivery of rock and roll, it seems the end of "For The Birds" is a statement that, despite the live energy transferring, the Mess Hall want to distinguish their recorded self.

The track ordering is well constructed, as there is a certain similarity in several tracks that is broken up with the odd curveball.

Second comings can be tough, but the Mess Hall has certainly pulled it off here.

"For The Birds" is aptly arriving in time for the summer road trips, too – it’s definitely the sort of soundtrack you’ll want for those.

RATING: 3 out of 5

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