(Independent)

Charming pop from ex-Brisbane raconteur

Trevor Ludlow’s contribution to Brisbane music is impressive. While he now calls Melbourne home, he started in Brisbane, playing music with The Melniks during the ’90s, played a stint with Biro around the turn of the millennium and was a founding member of Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side. Now he goes it mostly alone, periodically drafting his Hellraisers (themselves an assortment of former Brisbane musicians) to write albums and perform shows. This arrangement seems to work well because Party On The Beach In The Rain is a fun journey filled with often humorous narratives that paint Ludlow as an awkward but charming protagonist. Ludlow’s fondness for self-deprecation recurs throughout, opener Dancin’ a prime example: “I’m in trouble / If you see me dancin’ / That goes double / For anyone I’m with.” The group concentrate on cultured ’60s pop music but occasionally flirt with country and, during instrumental Hero, venture into Hendrix territory. Founded on consistently strong songwriting – both lyrically and musically – Party On The Beach In The Rain is a polite but endearing pop record.

DARRAGH MURRAY

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