In the fourth of a new series of articles featuring albums that perhaps flew under the radar when released but we think retrospectively deserve more consideration, we look back at Front End Loader’s “Ritardando”.
Records have personalities don’t they? There are some that gush with innocent exuberance, perhaps getting a bit too excited at times and in some cases a bit needy. Others are contemptuous, aloof and seem to deliberately set out to alienate listeners. With some you get that contractual obligation feeling, like its makers are out of ideas and interest and going through the motions like the reluctant son or daughter at the family Christmas party.
In the case of “Ritardando” by Sydney band Front End Loader, you feel a huge sense of relaxed confidence that falls well short of arrogance. It has a great self-awareness, knows what it does well, and does it with a huge grin on its face. It’s something that comes across in the band’s “bio” and “about” sections on their website- pages a few PR folk could do with a read of. Please.
Front End Loader, who trade under the mantle of Australia’s least popular, relatively well known band, have been around for 20 years and this is their sixth album. It doesn’t set out to capture a live performance but it’s not hard to tell what happens at one of their shows. It’s a string of hard rocking, riff-laden parcels of sweat and smells with plenty of opportunities for sing-alongs and leaping bodies bodies colliding mid-air. It might be cold and raining outside right now but I can picture this belting out at a summer barbie or backyard party at 1:00 am keeping the neighbours with one finger on redial to the local cop shop.
At its most bogan end of the scale it mingles with the likes of The Living End, but this is short lived and “Ritardando” has more in common with bands like A Fight You Can’t Win in that it assumes a level of musical intelligence from it’s listener. When not mixing it up with some punk and glam, they’re not afraid to stab you in the temple with some searing atonal and off-harmonic guitar work and unsettling beats. Avoiding the ballads that an album like this would have wedged in during the 90s they stay with a solid hard-rocking pace that understands not everyone needs a rest after every three songs.
This record isn’t designed for a long wait in a traffic or studying for an exam. It’s got a pretty specific purpose, which is to get your lazy arse out to a pub to listen to humans making some great loud rock ‘n’ roll and have some fun for fuck’s sake. So do it.
“Ritardando”is available through the F.E.Loader website.
