You may want to dust off your hair crimper and slip into something leather, because Melbourne-based outfit Big League have dropped their debut album I Thought Thunderbolt, and we’re fan girling.
The four-piece are transporting listeners to the Australian heyday of ’90s alt-rock, having profoundly soaked the new tracks in grungy guitars and driving hooks.
Whether it’s whacked on at a party or featured on your go-to playlist, I Thought Thunderbolt is a versatile offering from Big League with big nods to an organic ’90s influence.
I Thought Thunderbolt is compiled from 11 guitar driven tracks, drizzled in male-female vocals and swept with sharp yet warm, booming drums. Opening with the title track, the listener is welcomed by a washy instrumental of repetitive, distorted guitars and an excitement of what’s to come.
After a short but sweet two minutes, the track spills into the next, Amcor Asphalt Plant Disaster, which kicks things off with up-tempo guitar accompanying catchy vocals and steady, assertive drum bashes.
As the record progresses, so does the ’90s punk-rock experience and we’re exposed to different elements of what Big League has to offer. Defender Luxe sits as the fourth track on the record and offers itself up as a sure stand-out from the catchy hooks and fuzzed out guitar.
Underpinning it all are Trav’s melodic vocals, harmonised with the soft, velvety smooth voice of Marie.
With each track changing up the tempo gam yet all managing to trigger a head bop, Maybe She’s Bored With It and Premature Enthusiasm bounce straight off each other, accentuating the ideal that this band calls another era home.
It’s a rarity that garage rock can provide such a non-abrasive listen, yet Big League have achieved that and more. Drawing similarities from bands like Voices, Pavement and Archers of Loaf, I Thought Thunderbolt has embodied an obvious sense of nostalgia while making room in their heavier genre to provide an easy listening experience.
Catch Big League live at their album launch shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide:
Sat 23 Sep – Woody’s Bar, Melbourne – Event
Fri 27 Oct – The Milk Factory, Brisbane – Event
Fri 24 Nov – The Hotel Metro, Adelaide – Event
I Thought Thunderbolt is out now.