The Basics :: Ingredients
Written by Mikey on June 16, 2014
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Album review by Angela Madden
‘The Basics’ are a Melbourne-based trio consisting of Wally De Backer (aka Gotye), Kris Schroeder and Tim Heath. These guys have been making fine music together since 2002, albeit with a 3 year hiatus in recent years, reforming for a string of live performances at the end of 2013. This time away from the group to pursue solo undertakings appears only to have strengthened ‘The Basics’, who are well-known for their energetic live shows, fun on-stage banter, natural harmonies and driving rock ‘n roll. This is honest, catchy, hook-laden rock that sits a huge pie-slice above the average caliber of many groups of a similar ilk.
Consisting of drums (De Backer), bass guitar (Schroeder) and lead guitar (Heath), all members of ‘The Basics’ also lend their significant vocal skills to this selection of tracks. ‘Ingredients’ is essentially a best-of-so-far album, and contains some corker tracks which are likely to resonate happily around inside your mind for quite some time after the initial listening.
A semi-accompaniment to ‘Ingredients’ is ‘Leftovers’ (released Feb 2013) which consists of out-takes and off-cuts plus previously unreleased tracks. This recording is most certainly worth a listen also; containing some hidden gems which merit sifting through the sand in the exploration of the extensive back catalogue of work from ‘The Basics’.
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