★★★
Hockey Dad’s debut LP,Boronia, is exactly what you’d expect from a surf rock album.
Named after the street where Zach Stephenson and Billy Fleming grew up together, Boronia is proof these New South Wales surf coast boys know precisely how to write a tune for their genre.
Boronia bursts open with the anthemic ‘Can’t Have Them’. Immediately grabbing your attention with its can’t-help-but-sing-along quality, this is the kind of track you’ll be hanging out to see live so you can belt it out with your mates. The rest of the album takes a more mellow approach, with washed-out rhythm guitars driving the mood. While the record is still dripping in summery vibes, there’s an overall laid-back quality to Boronia that makes for easy listening.
Some songs meld into each other, but ‘Jump The Gun’ is a standout, with its ear-catching guitar lick. It’s a simple melody, but when combined with its chanting chorus, it becomes all too easy to get stuck in your head.
For a debut album, Boronia certainly can’t be scoffed at. It’s not a boundary-breaking release, but with the skill they’ve shown, Hockey Dad will only reach greater heights from here.
Hockey Dad’sBoroniais out now through Farmer & The Owl/Inertia.
