Three years after their first release, this amiable Brisbane outfit have finally released a follow-up; not quite an album at 32 minutes, but close enough. And though I knew the band’s reputation for good vibes, for some reason, I expected the opener Lest We Forget to be a more sombre affair than it is (well, Anzac Day wasn’t so long ago). Instead, from the first horn-assisted, feet-friendly, infectious groove, it was unmistakably the kind of sunny sound that encourages smiles. And that’s despite the more serious anti-war themes in the lyrics. It’s also clear why The Rooftops get compared to Melbourne’s Cat Empire. There’s a summery shimmer here, not overly sweaty but with a certain warm glow, regularly given a coastal reggae vibe that sounds like you should be breaking out the Hawaiian shirts. But behind the tropical flavour, there’s a combination of jazz playfulness and seriousness at work here, made clear on the jam-like History Of Beating Hearts, where the spotlight swings to various members to solo. With vocalist/saxophonist Euan Gray riding this breezy party groove with an almost laconic, Aussie inflected delivery, you can tell this is a band who’ve raised a few roofs in their time.

BILL HOLDSWORTH

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