Tex Perkins and Tim Rogers - My Better Half (Album)
» Tex 'n Tim Find Their Better Half with New Album & National Tour! - July 28, 2006
» Meredith Music Festival - Meredith Natural Amphitheatre, Vic - December 10, 2006
» Legs 11 Festival - Domain, The, NSW - October 27, 2006
» T 'N T (Tim Rogers And Tex Perkins) - Ruby's Lounge and Bar, Vic - September 10, 2006
» Tex Perkins and Tim Rogers - Telegraph Hotel, Tas - May 15, 2006
Tim Rogers and Tex Perkins are stalwarts of the Aussie rock scene for a reason. They can pen a tune, put on a live show, and charm the pants off anyone they meet. Their recent collaboration, My Better Half is a collection of bluesy lyrics-driven ditties, which, predictably, sits comfortably between classic You Am I and The Cruel Sea… only not as good.
Opening number Everybody Hates You When You’re Popular is the most produced song on the album. The pair wail away about their distaste for Australia’s tall-poppy syndrome, hangers-on, and the public’s love of their own misery. Poor little tigers.
Semi Auto-Duo-Bio is, as the title suggests, a biographical duet about the lives of these two outcasts. This time, and for many songs on the album, the song is primarily made up of two guitars. Tex poetically sings of leaving home for the city and its subsequent temptations. Tim describes himself as ‘a long thin piece of pelican shit’ with scabs around the knees. Both have their charms.
Any Old Time is a classic Rogers ballad. It’s a beautiful ‘bruises-and-all’ love song. It is also the first time on the album one of the guys sings lead. As you would expect, Tex responds with Half of Nothing, which could have been taken from his beautiful Dark Horses solo album. Simplistic percussion and harmonies help drive home a celebration of sorrow Tex is obviously comfortable creating.
For those of you that like variety, you might find the album a tad tedious. While at times the low production values of the album can add to the intimacy of the songs, it can also feel lazy. Similarly, the guys have some great songs on the album, and some songs that sound a little under-worked. It almost feels like a jam session that they’ve decided to release straight off the bat. But for orthodox Perkins/Rogers fans, this no doubt only adds to the excitement of the album. At times it really does feel like you are in the room with these crooning rockers.
When I heard Tex Perkins and Tim Rogers were releasing an album I high-fived anyone willing (my boss was not as pumped as I had expected). But I guess I expected more. My Better Half is a good collection of bluesy creations. Certainly there are some brilliant moments of lyrical finesse that can’t be overlooked. But overall, it sounds a little rushed and under-produced.
