Backseat Rhythms

ONE OF THE BEST ACTS IN AUSTRALIA. Whatever their intentions, Melbourne’s Casanovas do kick an awful lot of ass (Classic Rock). For a band that has been around since 1999, Melbourne hard rockers The Casanovas have been extra busy in recent years. They followed their 2020 album, Reptilian Overlord, with an extensive European tour (which slotted in a performance on the legendary German TV rock show Rockpalast). Now with this fifth album in the can, it’s a sure bet we’re gonna see a lot more riffing rock action around town from these guys.Drummer Brett ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden has joined long-time guitarist Tommy Boyce and bassist Damo Campbell, giving the group an even more streamlined approach. Wolfie has been just as active over the years. The Casanovas maintain the elementary, street level, riff heavy, melodic brand of hard rock that has held them in good stead. Reference points and forebears are obvious in their sound: Cheap Trick, The Cult (just check out the cover), AC/DC, Motorhead, Legs Diamond, KISS, Ted Nugent. Everything from opener ‘The Devil in Me’ through ‘When You Want Something from Me’ and ‘Burning Up the Night’, on to ‘City Streets’, goes from full tilt rawk to mid-tempo rawk, as lean and righteous as a Melbourne Cup favourite. It’s only with the penultimate track, ‘Her Kiss’, that they bring the pace down to a sleazy slow burn; yet even then they can’t help themselves with a rave up finish. Last track ‘Kundalini Rising’ pulls out the Nugent ‘Stranglehold’ riff to maximum effect for a psych-infused epic with a spacey bridge where they get all “Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare Krishna” on our asses; oddball but hot and tasty supreme. Go and get it!