I will be blunt. I have not heard a better Brisbane band than Shutterspeed and 'Custom Made Hit Parade', whilst not without its rough edges, could be one of the most important recordings to come from that city since the Saints' 'Know Your Product.' From the stinging vitriole of 'Come Out Swingin' (a motif later visited in the 'Dark Forces coda) to the sentimental sexuality of 'High Among the Lights,' there is barely an emotion left unattended here. If you consider singer/guitarist Andrew Petersen's assertion that the album is "Songs about fucking and panic," then you get an insight into the emotional mileu where this wonderful songwriter exists. The strength of the album is the detail in the songs and each one plays like a small chapter in the singer's life, whether it's the self-doubt and fear of 'Dancing with the Devil' and 'Under Control,' or the inverse self-assuredness of 'I am the One' and 'Come out Swingin.' Petersen has the remarkable ability to articulate emotions in simple but never hackneyed way: "I'll do a better job next time cause now I know what it takes/I'll be different I'll be good I swear, I'll learn from my mistakes (Start Over).
In a way I hope he doesn't learn because, ironically, it may just take away the impetus for songs like these that are almost peerless in the sewer of contemporary music. The album's only weaker moments are 'I can't keep my hands off you' and If I could be you,' both of which would have made better B-sides, especially with the quality of songs such as 'Sparks that flew' that the band had in reserve. This said, they fail to detract from the overall quality of an album that has been recorded and produced with such passion, thoughtfullness and insight that I am wondering if I will hear another like it again. If you don't pick up a copy of this album then I must ask you, "What part of brilliant music do you not understand?"
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Juxtapositions abound on this record: ‘Come Out Swingin’’ marries the pub rock swagger of Eddie & the Hot Rods with twisted riffing of ‘Daydream Nation’ era Sonic Youth, and ‘Under Control’ has late period Motown inspired Jam paired with early passionate Springsteen. It’s a one-two sucker punch leaving your jaw agape waiting to see what they come up with next. What follows is a parade of songs that call on The Who, Small Faces, the Stones, Curtis Mayfield and a whole host of others. All the songs are densely textured, with the rich sound of the Hammond organ usually in attendance to lay down a thick under-blanket: ‘Feed The Fire’ is so dense you expect it to come out of your speakers as a liquid. When they do strip things back as on ‘High Among the Lights’ or ‘Two Weeks,’  we get a Wilco / Buffalo Tom hybrid; muscular acoustic balladry, touching and tender. The Wilco comparison again is prevalent on ‘If I Could Be You,’ a ringer for a mid-tempo Tweedy number. The record comes to a neat elliptical finish as ‘Dark Forces’ revisits the fist pumping intransigent anthem “Come Out Swingin,’’ this time not with detuned guitars but a string quartet and a gospel choir, the Hammond almost discovering new keys in an effort to top the maelstrom of melodic noise swirling around, and yes it does sound like Buffalo Tom, Andrew Petersen’s vocals are a match both in pitch and phrasing for Bill Janowitz - being an admirer of BT, I have no problem with this. Reputably excellent live, they will be touring the UK later in the year on this, showing that they’ll be well worth seeing. www.cdx.co.uk/independents
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