Dallas Crane - Factory Girls (Album)

I have to confess to having a soft spot for Dallas Crane. I’ve seen them play around Melbourne a bunch of times over the past few years, and every time they have blown me away with their awesome live show and perfect harmonies. I’ve even met them once or twice and they were really nice guys, despite my drunken attempts at becoming their new best friend… curse you Mr Jack Daniels! ‘Factory Girls’ is the logical next step from their last self-titled album. ‘The Crane’ have stripped the music back to its bare bones and the result is a solid no-nonsense set of rock n’ roll winners.

Factory Girls opens with the stomp-rock feel-good Tonight (There’s A Party Goin’ Down). Fuzzy guitars and the previously-mentioned harmonies drive the song along, setting the upbeat feel for the rest of the album. Marsanne follows, sounding like a cross between Queen and early Bon Jovi. It’s sounds intentionally kitsch at times, but stands up on its own as a solid piece of Aussie rock.

Lovers & Sinners continues the stomp-rock feel, and leads into the first reflective song on the album, God Damn Pride. The lyrics are so honest, I feel as if Dave Larkin is singing directly to me when he muses, “…to me and everyone you are the man”. Thanks Dave!

Kiss It All Goodbye kicks things back into ‘party mood’, with classic balls-out vocals and the ever-brilliant guitar solos provided by Pete Satchell. The latest single Curiosity, which is currently being hammered by Triple J at the moment, offers a more classic ‘Crane flavour’, with a driving tempo and a progressive outro. I can’t wait to hear this one live.

Black Angels has a real Beatles feel to it, and as the boys themselves have noted, it’s not so far off the vein of Unlucky Star. Teenage Superpot and Matter Of Time rock out, referencing classic vocal melodies as well, and making full use of the dual lead guitar roles of Larkin and Satchell.

For me, the album hits a questionable patch towards the end. The verse of Two Can Play At This Game sounds a bit too much like the boys’ 2003 single, No Through Road, for me to enjoy it on its own merits. I keep wanting to add ‘na na na’ to the end of every stanza. Muddy Water lacks the passion of the rest of Factory Girls, and limply leads into the much stronger closing track, Keep Your Head High Bella Mae. It’s a folk-country-rock ditty, which adds a perfectly sorrowful finishing touch.

Factory Girls is another solid release from Australia’s ‘hardest-working rockers’. The songs range from classic ‘Crane rock’ to more subtle arrangements that allow the boys to show their sensitive side. While there are rare times of mediocrity, overall, Dallas Crane deliver a beautifully stripped back piece of Aussie rock.

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