Fresh-faced Australian alt’ folk band Any Young Mechanic have just dropped their impressive debut album, the quirkily-titled ”The Modern Shoe Is Ruining The Foot”.
The five-piece from Adelaide formed in 2023 and are Sam Wilson (guitar vocals), Jay Eliot Mee (drummer), Luka Kilgariff-Johnson (banjo, guitar), Thea Martin (violin) and Allan McBean (double bass). Sam and Jay first met back in 2019 at university and pulled together the other members from the thriving Adelaide DIY music scene, and all are alumni of the Elder Conservatorium.
Deliberately staying under the radar for the first year or so of their existence to figure out their own sound and direction, avoiding putting out music until the promising single, “There’s A New Place On The Market” last year. Utilising the time to rehearse, write and hone their sound, to be live-ready, and ready to impress.
They did just that when they played The UK’s Reading & Leeds’ festivals, and Rock en Seine in France last year, and Brighton’s Great Escape festival and a London show last month.
There is self-assuredness and cohesion throughout the album. No over-dubs or amplification on this record. A group of musicians who completely trust each other, love making music and strive for authenticity in everything they do. Sam Wilson is the songwriter of the group, penning all 12 tracks, with production credits shared by the whole band, and with Sam Lench, who also plays a few additional instruments.
The epic closing bars of track 10, “Barn Burning”, feels like you’re in the middle of their jam session, where the band are totally locked in and fully in sync, and as they hurtle towards the final chorus of the penultimate track “Bare The Brunt”, which includes the band bantering and laughing together.
Sam’s vocals are crisp throughout with any inflections or gravelly breaths left in, giving depth and character to each track. Sonically, the sound eschews the “cosy campfire” tropes of traditional folk for a cinematic sensibility – opting instead for intricate scenes, unique characters, and a kaleidoscopic emotional spectrum. There may be moments of a country influence and there is a contemporary edge.
Thea’s violin beautifully underscores each track – haunting in the former single and the LP’s opening track “There’s A New Place On The Market”. Then bright and emotional in “Captain and Compass”. Allan’s and Jay’s rhythm section contribution is subtle but impactful, and Luka’s banjo is never gimmicky or over- done, but adds scintillating texture throughout.
There’s plenty of quirky lyrics and themes, such as “I Never Met An Engine Don’t Need Tanks” speaks for itself, but there’s no shying away from exploring personal experiences or current affairs either; The lively “My House Divides” is sure to be a firm favourite on the live set list, but it explores housing and socio-economic inequality; “My house divides and yours multiplies”.
The raw honesty can be heard in the self-depreciating “Every Time You Put Me Up, I Get Down Some New Way” and “Pretty Strange World” that clearly shows Sam Wilson’s personal intentions to make it. “Write You Wrong” is a stand out; stripped back and melancholy with a stunning vocal, especially on the final chorus.
Overall, a very impressive debut from a band, [who took their name from a lyric in “Hooray For Hollywood”, inspired by its jarring inclusion in Robert Altman’s neo-noir “The Long Goodbye”], that seems to have found its own lane early on.