Firebird- Buildin' a Hot Rod

This is the debut album from the Australian rockabilly/psychobilly band, which was released in 2006.

Have a guess what the topics discussed in the lyrics of this album are. Hot-rod cars and women? Spot on! Let's start with the hot-rod songs.

All three are pretty similar, so the devil is in the detail. For some reason, Fire Up the Motor sounds like a poor cousin of Stray Cats Built for Speed, so I don't really dig it. Hot Rod Woman (killing two birds with one stone!) doesn't have much of a interesting story to the lyrics, however the chorus is wonderfully catchy.

This leads me to develop a theory about rockabilly songs, if I may. The style has been successfully used so many times over the years, and it is sort of accepted that the verses are just "background fill" while the vocals tell the story. Therefore, to stand apart from the millions of other rockabilly songs, one requires an engaging story to the lyrics and a memorable chorus. Buildin' a Hot Rod features both of these ingredients, and is my pick of the three songs.

Coming close but no cigar is Always Rockin' 88. Musically it is fine, but the self-obsessed lyrics that put me. Also relegated to the millions of solid yet forgettable rockabilly are Lonely Hotel and Back Door Slammin'. Somehow, the slower songs (Local Honky Tonk and Cryin' I'm So Blue) don't appeal to me either, nor does the accented offbeat style of If I Ain't Got You, although I do like its bridge.

By normal standards, the recording quality is mediocre (e.g. muffled cymbals, muddy double-bass, compression sucking away all of the dynamics). Unfortunately it's pretty typical fare for rockabilly albums, though.

I really dig the slower "stoller" style of rockabilly, and Well Alright Well Ok and Vampire hit the nail on the head. Vampire is the perfect execution- a voodoo-esque tale of devillish femme, combined with a brilliant catchy chorus (especially the snappy "vam...PIRE" at the start!). It is my favourite song from the band.

Knock Knock Knockin' is simply great headbanging rock'n'roll goodness. At the other end of the spectrum, the unusual beat of Itchin' Scratchin' is a nice novelty, and makes for a nice moment when it resolves into a "normal" beat.

Overall, since the album sticks to a very well-worn and tightly specified rockabilly style, it isn't easy for an album like this to shine. So while there are many tracks I am happy to skip, those songs that do stand out are very impressive indeed

Favourite songs

Buildin' a Hot Rod, Well Alright Well Ok, Vampire, Knock Knock Knockin', Itchin' Scratchin', Hot Rod Woman