Tyrannamen - Tyrannamen LP
- Written by Marky Edison
They can't sing. They are sloppy as hell. Their timing is dubious and their backing vocals are disharmonious, and yet Tyrannamen is an instantly lovable record. After a five-year wait, Melbourne’s Tyrannamen have released their gloriously messy debut album on Cool Death Records. Their off-kilter garage rock is offset by a soulful swagger. Obvious influences like MC5, The Damned, and Black Flag sit side by side with classic rock 'n' roll like Tommy James and the Shondells. They have the lo-fi punk aesthetic of American bands like Audacity and Black Lips, and the eight songs on this album whizz by in under 25 minutes.
‘I Can't Read Your Mind' is an excellent start to the record. The blunt power chords are a statement of brutal intent but the lead guitar melody and the call-and-response lyrics emphasise the singalong, rock 'n' roll nature of Tyrannamen. Lead singer Nic Imfeld wrote 'Ice Age' as a metaphor for the end of a relationship. His Danzig influence comes to the fore on this song, which could easily come from The Misfits’ early albums.
‘Diamond Ring’ has a totally different feel to the rest of the LP, and the change in style from straight up garage rock to slick Small Faces psych-pop really makes the song stand out. The sweet melody of the vocal is in perfect contrast with the, none too subtle, masturbatory theme of the lyrics. ‘You Should Leave Him’ sounds like first wave punk mixed with the '70s pub rock of Dr. Feelgood. Imfeld channels Glenn Danzig on what is definitely the highlight of the album; pure punk-pop perfection.
Some songs work better than others but with the short runtime it's not long before any underwhelming moments pass by. The shambolic execution is more than compensated for by the gusto of the delivery and the catchiness of the tunes. When it comes to the production and general aesthetic it's clear that Tyrannamen are either rock ‘n’ roll savants or lucky amateurs that have struck gold. Whichever it is, it's enough that they have made something brilliant. If Tyrannamen were properly recorded and mixed, the magic would be lost and the result would not sound as good as this does.