Alien Nosejob, the one-man project from Australian musician Jake Robertson has been releasing a lot of records. The project began a garage rock bent and recently moved into hardcore-inspired raw punk. The newest record, a 13-song collection called The Derivative Sounds Of... Or... A Dog Always Returns To Its Vomit goes full circle -- really even further back, with some of these songs originating with Robertson’s previous band, The Frowning Clouds. The Derivative Sounds… is garage rock, sunbleached after too much time on the beach. The guitar tones are bright and classic in sound while the melodies are stripped to the basics. It’s heartfelt, core rock ‘n’ roll that feels like it’s been lying on that beach since the ‘60s, soaking in the sins and decadence. Sometimes it’s relaxed and chill, at others, the sunburn is ready to blister and ooze. It’s not a punk rock, obnoxious ooze though. The many moods on this record are subtle, ebbing and flowing with the guitar movements and tonal shifts.
While Alien Nosejob is a one person band, it’s not minimalist, exactly. There is full instrumentation, reproduced live with a backing band. But it’s still garage rock on this record, meaning it’s not exactly a wall of sound either. Melody and movements define the tone. Many of the songs are longing and meandering, feeling a bit like that proverbial lost dog in the album title. Subtle organ compliments in “Zipped Up” and “The Smile.” I like the vocal key change in “There Was A Time I Called Her Mine” as well as the punchy delivery of the refrain. “Work Out” takes a little darker tone with upfront bass before a potent final movement. Toward the end, with “Second Chance,” we see a bit of a style shift with some choppy angular elements, perhaps an indication of things to come.
Those are a lot of diverse sound but, really, this record is very consistent: it’s something of a mood record where you’re listening for the vibe more than for any specific single, bouncing between soft psych rock and punchy garage rock. Like any record, some songs strike better than others. For example, “Ariel View,” which gives us the titular lyric, is a dull point for me. But overall the tone and vibe wins out with songs like “Split Personality” (think psych-rock garage with punk undertones) and “The Punisher Was Cool” (a dynamic, turn it up-type song). Fans of ‘60s garage and pysch rock take note. While it totally fits with the larger Alien Nosejob catalog, the throwback sounds set this one apart from the rest of their catalog.
