Party Dozen – Crime In Australia (Temporary Residence Ltd) – Well the two of them certainly aren’t slowing down, this new album has been skronking and parping and biting in here for a good few weeks now, we were waiting for this one, they haven’t let us down and it certainly has more than lived up to lots (and lots) of repeated plays. The forceful Sydney-based duo, made up of saxophonist Kirsty Tickle and percussionist Jonathan Boulet, Party Dozen will release their new album Crime in Australia on Sept 6th via Temporary Residence. What you need to know if you don’t already is that they’re one hell of a band, there is only two of them, you’d think there was six of seven kicking up the storm they do (and how good are they live! Don’t pass up a chance if that chance should come your way)  

The follow-up to their international breakthrough album so it says here and yes, 2022’s The Real Work is where most of us got to know them. “That album included many new developments in the band’s evolution that earned them significant praise – most notably the Nick-Cave-featured Macca The Mutt, the surprisingly radio-friendly skronk of Fruits Of Labour and the epic string-drenched beauty of Risky Behaviour”. Yes it was Nick Cave and the brilliant Macca that first brought Party Dozen to our attention, The Real World made a real impact, could they follow it? Actually we (and others) talk as if The Real World was their debut, it was actually their third album, Crime In Australia is album number four. Crime is even better, Crime is even more, the two of them are definitely not slowing down although you could argue things might be a little more refined, that there’s a touch more depth along with the urgent thrash, more musical thought? Dare we say that?

As with its predecessor, Crime In Australia was written, recorded, produced and mixed by the duo themselves in their studio in Marrickville, Sydney. This time, the location was more of an influence than on previous occasions, as Boulet explains: “Marrickville in the 1960s-70s was a notorious crime hot spot. If a car was stolen, or someone was missing, they’d look for them in Marrickville. Since then, the area has been highly gentrified and slowly the once grimy industrial warehouse lined streets are being swapped for monstrous apartment blocks with palm trees.

We began without any theme in mind, just the beginnings of some song ideas. As we were discovering the songs for this album, each song felt more and more at home in an old cop TV series soundtrack. The crime theme quickly became apparent. The record feels split into two contrasting sides: The first half is ‘order’, being as listenable as Party Dozen has ever been. Each song is law abiding and dignified in its own place. The second half is ‘disorder,’ becoming more unlawful, unhinged, louder and noisier.”

They’re right it does sound like old 70s cop soundtracks. Interesting that they talk of songs, they are pretty much instrumental, they do paint pictures though, they do have a menace, they do speak to you, they don’t actually need too many words. If they are songs then they’re kind of mean, sounding songs, they are a little unhinged, they are rather in control of it all. Now you’d think a skronking instrumental two piece led by an often raging speedhorn of a saxophone would after a while become a little one dimensional, a little predictable, no way! Crime in Australia  never gets anywhere near being boring or one dimensional, this is an album alive with vivid colour with driving urgency, with menace, with a need to take you with it. Hey look, just fire it up, do it once and you’ll want to ride it again and again, Party Dozen have easily followed their 2022 breakthrough, this is an excellent set of crimes. And yes, there are one or two  unexpected moments, we didn’t really see the brilliant thing that is The Big Man Upstairs coming, now that really is a beautiful song, a surprising one that adds so much to what must be one of the standout albums of the year so far, they might just be one of my favourite bands at the moment… (sw)  

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And if you are reading this before August 28th then – “Hello Bandcampers. Kirsty and Jon here! We’d love for you to join us for an exclusive live listen to our new album “Crime In Australia” only on Bandcamp on Wednesday Aug 28th (29th in ANZ). We’ll be there in the chat ready to hear and respond to all your constructive criticism. Because we’re Sydney-based it’s been a bit tricky to find a time that works but we’ve settled for what we think is 2pm LA, 5pm NYC, 10pm London, 11pm Berlin and 7am the next day in Sydney. If we got any of those wrong, feel free add it to your constructive criticism. Anyway, at 7am Jon will be half asleep, but this is the only opportunity to hear the record before it is released on Sep 6th so come along – we’re so pumped for you to hear it! Lots of love xoxo PD”

And just in case you haven’t had the pleasure yet…