The Russian Roulettes – Physical Education (Off the Hip)

With age comes the inevitable maturity, as evidenced by Physical Education, the second LP from Australian trio Russian Roulettes. That’s not to say the band (which features former members of the Specimens and Digger & the Pussycats) has abandoned the grungy garage rock of its debut R&R, mind you – there’s still plenty of spit and fire in blazing songs like “And That’s All,” “F.B.I.” and the title track. But the Roulettes’ grasp equals their reach on the psychedelic “Wait and See,” the soulful “Waiting For You,” the power-popping “Every Time That You Need Me” and the funky-butt “It’s Time to Rock & Roll.” This is a band not content to simply plow the garage punk furrow – the writing is simply too skilled, melodic and ambitious for sitting comfortably in that much-beloved but limited niche. Fans of the Reigning Sound, the Ettes and even the Black Keys should pick up on the Russian Roulettes before they become the eye of a hipster storm.

http://www.myspace.com/therussianroulettes
http://www.offthehip.com.au