Warbirds

Following on from 2011’s Mannequin, Victoria’s The Human Electric are back with their hard rocking sophomore EP.

Early on, Warbirds is reminiscent of ‘Thrills, Kills And Sunday Pill’s era Grinspoon.

The first three tracks, in particular ‘Ya Got Me Singing’, rock hard and driven by the strength and range of Oborne’s vocals, are a cool, yet passionate demonstration of the talent on hand.

By ‘When It’s Over’, the hard edge of the opening few songs softens, giving way to a more conventional, pop rock sound.

It’s a little generic, but is the kind of change Warbirds needed, adding something different to what was, to that point, a very uniform EP.

The final track, ‘Grief And Sin’, takes distinctly different tone. Any traces of the rock vibe give way to an acoustic, almost country sounding warble.

While at first it seems a little forced, the track quickly grows on you, and serves a nice reminder that there is more to the Victorian rockers than meets the ear.

While it’s a little mired in parts by guitar solos that go twice as long as they need to, and a few throwaway lyrics, Warbirds is a valiant second effort.

With tight guitar riffs, and an exceptional vocal display from Oborne, The Human Electric display a seemingly effortless cohesion, which is the core of their performance.

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