The Secret Buttons are an outgrowth of The New Invincibles, a Perth band now in the veteran class with 10 years under its collective belt. Like the Invincibles, The Secret Buttons deal in ’60s derived rock and roll via the garage, and this is their debut EP.
It’s often said three-pieces are the perfect configuration for rock and roll because they leave lots of spaces for individuals to do their own thing. The Secret Buttons revel in the trio format. Drummer Dave Rockwell is the common thread between both bands and while The New Invincibles have keyboards, more of a pop bent and a broader aural palette, The Buttons play it straight and mostly go for the throat.
It’s a filthy strain of rock and roll for which these Buttons aim. The stuttering “Chicken Walk” is the most melodic tune of the eight here. Their “Dirt” isn’t the Stooges song but a gritty contender in its own right, with acrid guitar from vocalist Jiah Fishenden its stand-out feature.
“Broke Leg Charlie” is a nagging rocker that again provides a platform for another serrated-edge Fishenden solo, while “Hassle” and “Run Man Run” are groovier throbbers with a primal edge. There’s also a “bonus track” called “House Partry” that sounds like The Dirtbombs’ house music record played backwards. What did the man say about staying away from the brown acid?
The Secret Buttons aren’t going to change the direction of modern music but they might just shake the shit of a sleepy pub, playing middle-of-the-bill on a Saturday night. Chase this release down via their Facebook page.
2/3
