In my eyes, Mornington’s The Fauves have been one of the most slept-on Aussie bands since their origins in the late 80’s.
So when I saw they just released their 13th album, Tropical Strength, I couldn’t let it be another release to fall by the wayside of the public’s attention.
The Fauves – Tropical Strength
- Label: Valve/MGM
- Release: Out Now
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That being said, I didn’t know how it would go. As the group’s primary songwriter, Andrew Cox has long been a lyricist who possesses a natural ability as both a storyteller and a witty satirist whose views on life, public affairs and romance have the ability to make you laugh and think simultaneously.
But how would that fare 36 years later now that Cox is “just another middle aged guy, living on his own waiting to die” (‘If You Love Me’)? Pretty damn perfectly, to be honest. A lot more bruised by life experience, sure – he’s no longer telling quirky anecdotes about robbing Red Rooster with a plastic gun or getting dumped right before going for his blue-belt in karate. Instead now unpacking the harsh reality of aging, racism and frayed relationships – yet still, with remarkable wit and candour.
Although what’s even more surprising is that, after three and a half decades, Tropical Strength is still a great starting point if you’ve never listened to the band, feeling as true to the group’s sound as Thousand Yard Stare or Lazy Highways were in the early noughties.
Give Tropical Strength by The Fauves a listen here.