CD Review: (When The Sun Sets Over) Carlton

I’m a bit late to this October 2014 release but better late than never, as they say. (When The Sun Sets Over) Carlton: Melbourne’s Countercultural Inner City Rock Scene of the ‘70s offers a diverse slice of Melbourne pop from that era with no emphasis on any one style. Australian Powerpop fans will dig bands like The Sports, who are represented by their hit, “Who Listens To The Radio” – here in it’s original piano driven form. Stephen Cummings vocals are awesome in a Van Morrison kinda vein. And The Dots demonstrated the kind of energy and ability to write a hook that one cannot ignore.

But powerpop is by no means the dominant genre here. Mark Gillespie’s “Suicide Sister” is an outstanding track with a Lou Reed vibe to it. Martin Arminger’s “I Love My Car” is another highlight. One simply cannot come up with adequate superlatives to describe Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and their tracks, “So Young” and “Only The Lonely Hearted”_. But there’s some stuff I can’t quite wrap my head around here, too. The Pelaco Bros‘ “Mechanics in a Relaxed Manner” leaves me flat in a Captain Beefheart what the hell did I just hear kinda way.

Other standouts include Stilletto’s “Middle of the Bed”, Daddy Cool’s “Saturday Night” and The Dot’s “Lowdown”. There are 45 tracks in all so you’re sure to find a few worthwhile nuggets here as well as learn a a bit about Australian pop of that time Period.