Back in '99 this album was huge in Australian music, particularly in the Alternative and Rock scenes. Ready 1 still gets airplay. This was the album that took Grinspoon from a large underground band to a moderate mainstream band. The loose Rock and carefree attitude is reminiscent of Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and Queens Of The Stone Age, even if the musical parellels are much stronger with the latter.
Secrets is a brooding and heavy Rock piece that is one of the best Aussie songs of '99, following on from the strong opening. The pace is slowed with the mellow Rock Show, and the Rage Against The Machine-inspired insrumental track Overdriver shows a hint of diversity. Overall this is a consistent album with some memorable hooks and some catchy riffs, even though the band's influences seem to have far more impact on the record than they should. Violent And Lazy shows the ability of the Spoon to write a marketable, catchy Rock song had evolved and Violent is a certain album highlight. Undeniably a solid record but ultimately lacking the diversity or ambition that could have seen it become a truly modern-day classic. Nonetheless, it's one of the best Aussie records of '99.
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