CD REVIEW: TEQUILA MOCKINGBYRD – Fight And Flight

Shane | 19 May 2016 | 1 Reply

CD REVIEW: TEQUILA MOCKINGBYRD – Fight And Flight
Distortion Records
20 May, 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
9 ½ /10

History shows us that all-girl rock bands usually get more publicity for their gender than their musical skills. This time, those that say Tequila Mockingbyrd ‘aren’t as good as the boys,’ are unwitting correct: they’re not ‘as good’ as any other band of blokes you could name. They’re not ‘as good’ as any other Australian band. They’re not ‘as good’ as any rock band in the world. They’re better.

Fight And Flight is the freshest, most assured, kick-assingest album we’ve heard this year.

As exciting as the debut Baby Animals record (an 800,000-seller in 1991/92) and possibly the best Australian debut album since then, Fight And Flight is living proof that this Melbournian triple threat were wise to take their time, spending several years gigging, crafting their songs, and honing their skills ‘til they’re sharp enough to dissect atoms and harness the ensuing power.

In addition to honing their chops in pubs and clubs, songs such as I Smell Rock n’ Roll, Never Go Home, Everyone Down and Jägerbomb speak of a life being lived on the rock n’ roll clock, holding up bars at dawn and taking no prisoners.

Fight And Flight is full to bursting point of catchy modern rockers: in addition to former singles Everyone Down and Money Tree, Never Go Home, Half Of The Man, So Not Me and Shut Me Down are instant favourites.

Then there is the tailor-made-for-the-now Why Are We Still Friends? And their raucous cover of Ritchie Ramone’s Somebody Put Something In My Drink – not that they need to cover a pop hit when their material is easily as good, but they own it enough to justify its inclusion.

Tequila Mockingbyrd are too good for Australia: we don’t have the population or rock radio to sustain a band with this much potential. Their deft amalgam of chart-savvy hard rock with flecks of metal sounds, at times, like the child Baby Animals and Crucified Barbara wish they could produce. I can see the future, and it’s Tequila Mockingbyrd being very successful in Europe and America.