Tonk Sister Switchblade
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
Sister Switchblade is the debut album from Australian rockers Tonk. Formed in 2005, the Canberra-based group did its best to put out an almost “live”-sounding album – a gritty, punchy blues-based rock with little in the way of post-production effects and studio gimmicks.
The album is musically solid and carries a lot of the swagger and attitude of old Guns ‘N Roses. The guitar duo of Steve Gray and Wayne Withers is tight and bluesy. They play some decent riffs and catchy hooks and are decent soloists. The rhythm section of drummer Tristan Davies and bassist Michael Rosser lays down an almost “classic rock” foundation that allows the guitars to shine. The vocalist, credited only as “Jinks,” has a decent voice for blues-based rock – it’s almost a mix of Danger Danger’s Ted Poley and The Cult’s Ian Astbury.
While musically strong, Sister Switchblade falls short in other ways. While bringing the attitude of GNR, Tonk does not bring the songwriting skills, consistency and originality of the greats. A few of the tracks start out strong and hooky but then just seem to fizzle as if they became lost in the woods. There are great riffs here, but they sometimes don’t carry over into great songs, and technical proficiency alone does not make a band worth following. One could forgive some of the musical shortcomings here since Tonk is a young band, and this is a first effort, but their lyric writing really disappoints.
These guys take the theme of “sex, drugs and rock & roll” to the extreme as that covers pretty much all they write about. The lyrics are quite off-putting and, at times, offensive – something that adolescent boys in high school would snicker about after buying the album on the strength of a “Parental Advisory” sticker. It’s actually a shame since the band does have all the basic tools needed to be a success. They can dish out some clean and crisp lines and some great grooves, but they need to mature to the point where they write songs about something other than adolescent fantasy (and do things like rhyme “predator” with “forget about her”).
The production and engineering are actually quite good. Everything is clear, and the band plays with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. Their musicianship is good, and many of the songs have a great feel and good vibe, but the band just trips over its lyrics. Perhaps one can say that all of the tools are there, but the toolbox isn’t the right size to hold them all.
All in all, Sister Switchblade is disappointing because once you listen to Tonk play, you’ll realize how much raw talent these guys have but are just not quite grown up enough as writers or musicians to use it well. They undoubtedly can do better, and hopefully a bit more seasoning and experience will take their talent and point it in the right direction. If you happen to like adolescent hard rock, give it a spin. Just don’t play it in front of your parents (or little kids), or wait for their next album.
Label: Modern Music / SONY / BMG
Web: www.myspace.com/tonkrocks
Track Listing (and song theme):
01. Redback (sex)
02. Menage A Trois (sex)
03. Golden Girl (sex)
04. Libertine (sex)
05. Sister Switchblade (sex, drugs)
06. Needle In The Red (revenge / violence)
07. Predator (sex)
08. Looze Yer Load (drugs / rock & roll)
09. Stay (booze)
10. Stick With My Blood (rock & roll / violence)
11. Sick ‘N’ Depraved (sex)
Hardrock Haven rating: 6/10