The Belair Lip Bombs – Again

Simplicity suits the Belair Lip bombs. Over the course of a lean 35 minutes, the Melbourne, Australia foursome writes tight songs that never overstay their welcome. Even their backstory couldn’t be more unassuming—hailing from the suburban coastal town of Frankston, they take pride in being part of a close-knit music community that supports one another.

The increase in attention didn’t happen overnight. Eight years since they formed, the Belair Lip Bombs gradually raised their profile before landing the ultimate signing with Jack White’s Third Man Records. Joining a roster featuring the likes of Hotline TNT and Snõõper, who've all modestly broken through, the band feels like a bold calling card for a label that has upheld a strong commitment to honouring the past.

Again, their second LP following 2023’s Lush Life, marks a significant stepping stone in their career. Whereas their debut featured patchy genre-hopping, whether they paid homage to the Cars (“Gimme Gimme”) or played with Tom Verlaine-like riffs (“Stay or Go”), the band proves to be resolute in finding a path forward as themselves.

Right from the outset, the jolting opener “Again and Again” introduces strings and freakout chord progressions as frontwoman/guitarist Maisie Everett openly admits to her repeated screwups. Giddy and tuneful, the band feels more at ease as a tried-and-true guitar pop band, reminiscent of how a band like Los Campesinos! captured the hearts of many an indie rock fan.

Everett, always writing experiences replete with relatable wit, recounts her increasing frustrations over a stalled relationship (“Motherfucker just say what you mean/Watched you play with my heart”) over a joyous driving rocker built on circuitous synths and rhythmic precision a la Albert Hammond Jr. While on “Another World,” with its herky-jerky guitars and chugging backbeat, Everett embodies the urgency of her words to be heard with an infectious energy.

The Belair Lip Bombs also show tremendous skill when they slow things down. The nearly four-minute “If You've Got the Time,” one of the longest tracks on here, saunters through with stop-start rhythms and charming harmonies before guitarist Mike Bradvica closes things with a seriously righteous solo. Everyone take note: Bradvica, bound to be the band's secret weapon, is one to look out for.

The jangly mid-tempo ballad “Back of My Hand” another highlight on the album, also comes across as a punkier version of The Sundays. Everett, with her soft yet gossamer vocals reminiscent of Harriet Wheeler, allows the song’s ringing hooks and steady drum rhythm to play off each other with seamless interplay as she transmits the album’s most powerful chorus.

It’s also no surprise that The Belair Lip Bombs embody the taut, hook-filled discipline of Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, both bands tangentially related in that band member Joe White provided production support to Again. Similar to them, they believe in the timelessness of writing thoughtful, guitar-driven songs that stick. As things stand, they’re all keeping their day jobs, which they enjoy since it provides them with balance, but I have a feeling that routine will soon become unsustainable. They’re just that good.

Again is out now via Third Man Records.