Album Notes

Described by Rolling Stone (Australia) as "A storming piece of work beautifully composed", Sydney-based Bluebottle Kiss plans to invade the United States in 2003.

Brought up on a steady diet of Sonic Youth, Afghan Whigs, and Dinosaur Jr. As well as classic Australian visionaries like the Church and the Bad Seeds, Bluebottle Kiss' fourth full-length, "Revenge Is Slow" (In Music We Trust in the U.S.), finds the trio expanding to a four-piece, with bassist Ben Fletcher moving to second guitar alongside singer/songwriter Jamie Hutchings. "This opens up the sound to the point where they can be considered alongside other like-minds with an ear for a solid pop tune like Neil Finn and Sparklehorse" (Noel Mengel, The Brisbane Courier-Mail).

Their uncompromising, heady and melodic sound has earned them a four-star review Rolling Stone, garnered them a three-hour spot light on the biggest alternative rock station in Australia, Triple J, and a glowing review in Drum Media that described them as "arguably Australia's most idiosyncratic guitar band". Sharing the stages with such acts as Sebadoh, Bonnie Prince Billy, Morphine, and Silverchair (Daniel Johns referred to BBK as his favorite Australian band and an influence in his songwriting), Bluebottle Kiss has proven they can, and will, play to any audience.

Their latest, "Revenge Is Slow" is an intense, multi-layered collection of songs with enough captivating rough edges to jolt any listener out of their aural malaise. This is their most accomplished album to date.

Compared recently in the UK to Coldplay, Bluebottle Kiss can also sound a little like At The Drive-In or Sparta's darker moments. But there's plenty of light to balance the shade. The single, "An Ounce of Your Cruelty", is a radio-friendly slice of melodic pop, with a simple guitar hook and relentless drums that subtly imprint their rhythm in your head. The opening track, "Father's Hands", is a folksy, country-tinged tale of reminiscence, a feel that pops up on other parts of the album, courtesy of some nice pedal steel.

In essence, "Revenge Is Slow" is a successful hybrid of songs that move from power pop ("Last Cinema", "Hasten The Blows") to inventive, slow-building, earnest tracks that are lyrically strong and delicately embellished. Songs such as "Peewee's Dream" and "Hello Stranger" are good examples of this band's complexity, making subtle use of harp, horns, piano, viola and cello, and even operatic background vocals. (Portions of this description taken from Sandra Bridekirk's review in The Weekend Australian)