The Larry Normans : Self-titled
By Alistar Wickens
The Larry Normans play pub rock, a genre which I confess has never held much for me. The well established Auckland four-piece are all experienced rockers, eking out a few more years on the boards and their press pack includes some glowing reviews of the band's live shows (back in 2004). Unfortunately this debut album fails to capture the energy and passion that they are apparently able to deliver on stage. Recorded during 2005 with Matthew Heine (SPUD, Raygun), the first few tracks offer little more than generic rock beats and the compulsory raw sounding vocals. From the fourth track Darlene things get a bit more interesting and the band shows what they're capable of when they get down to business. If they keep heading in that direction then their next album should be a more interesting affair. This should tide over existing fans between gigs, but I don't know if it'll win over too many new listeners.
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