P544ORACLE 544 Mon17 Feb C4 1710:17
1/3
Monday
Domestic Harmony by DO-RE-MI (Virgin)
Tipped-off by an enraptured friend, I
expected a lot from this group. In the
event I received not so much a knockout
punch as a gentle tug on the sleeve.
It's clever stuff, of course. Big news
in their native Australia, Do-Re-Mi
are obviously astute musicians and
songwriters. The result is a clipped
economical pop, characterised
by DEBORAH CONWAY's strong vocals and
and STEPHEN PHILIP's inventive guitar.
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BSVs Index - 540 Fanzine - 545
P544ORACLE 544 Mon17 Feb C4 1701:04
2/4
Monday
Domestic Harmony by DO-RE-MI (Virgin)
So why was I underwhelmed? As one who
prefers the simple and direct,
Do-Re-Mi's complex, stop-start
structures do, after a time, tend to
irritate rather than embrace.
Further, their mostly paranoic lyrical
approach rests uneasily within the
context of quirky pop. I mean, these
people are SERIOUS - 'It's the trumpets
above my head that disturb me the least
/when my logical thinking is
illogically ceased' ('Warnings Moving
Clockwise').
more follows >
BSVs Index - 540 Fanzine - 545
P544ORACLE 544 Mon17 Feb C4 1705:42
3/3
Monday
Domestic Harmony by DO-RE-MI (Virgin)
Only when they go the whole hog - manic
lyrics AND setting - does it really
work. 'Big Accident', for example, had
me almost biting my nails in
accompaniment, evoking the kind of
angst-ridden atmosphere that PAT
BENATAR occasionally manages to pull
off (they'll hate me for that!).
I'll give them the benefit of a couple
more plays, but short of a major
incident 'Domestic Harmony' looks
doomed for the back of the pile. Not my
cup of vegemite at all...
(Chris Fuller)
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BSVs Index - 540 Fanzine - 545