Luke Russell The Kiss That Lasted All Weekend by: Wal Cross/Eric Wilson Sun:29-Apr-07 Label: Half A Cow Year: 2007 WB rating 54 out of 100

Luke Russell has a PHD in philosophy, a sister who is in New Buffalo [Sally Seltmann], his signature on a Half a Cow contract, the gang that introduced us to Art Of Fighting, and a debut album titled The Kiss That Lasted All Weekend. 

When I was a kid I wasn’t allowed to listen to Nirvana; Metallica was off limits, as were Ugly Kid Joe and Guns ‘n’ Roses. Instead I was fed on a solid diet of Slim Dusty, John Williamson, a bit of Johnny Cash (but not that gospel crap), and the occasional mix of Herman’s Hermits at an 80th birthday party  where I was allowed a solitary ‘red fire truck’ (3 quarts lemon, one quart red). At the age of ten, jack of songs about rain patterns throughout wheat seasons, I biked to the town library and borrowed my first tape of real music, The John Lennon Collection. The rest my fab four loving friends, is pure Beatles-bliss history. I haven’t bothered with much other music after that, so I thought I’d be happy on a trip down Penny Lane with Luke Russell’s 48 hour kiss. It’s Pop. Poppy, pop, pop, pop.

The ‘woo hoo’ harmonies, slow acoustic strums and reassuring voice of Russell, on ‘A Girl Who Screams When She Dances’, are the sounds of the album.  Here Russell sings of men who “dream of romances and smoky cafes in faraway France,” the tendency of the lyrics to fall into teenage poetry status is a tad disappointing for a philosophy lecturer and I’m sure Russell himself would punish his students for using such cheese-coated corniness. But, it’s only pop; I shouldn’t need a PHD to understand what any bleeding heart is bleating on about.

‘She’s Making Me Hard’ adds a few ‘ahs’ to the ‘oohs’, piano accordion and some xylophone (or is that a toy piano?) in the typical pop fare. A solid beat that drives the song leads to a catchy bridge that is weakened by a disappointing chorus, due to Russell simply repeating the title relentlessly. ‘Make Me A Mid West Town’ is an Elliot Smith sounding tune, a solid acoustic strum drives the song with some welcome accented piano chords, soft drums roll and the debut of hand claps. A clever use of a toy piano, which complements the young love feeling of the album, the ‘tremolo soaked’ guitar solo and Russell repeating: “stop making me happy, stop pulling me through” does exactly that.

‘Snakes and Ladders’ is a paced up, simple song with some bizarre lyrics: “I’ve got you by the toenails. I’ve got the scissors in my hand”. Once again Russell is repetitive; the tune is almost verse-chorus, cut-paste type formulas. ‘She Wanted to Teach Me A Lesson’, a dreamy lament, showcases Russell’s strong harmonies and his ability to write a sticky chorus. ‘Young Loves’, also, is simple: acoustic guitar, tambourine and hand claps. It is this clicking and hand-clapping that is centre stage, which meshes well with the childish lyrics, as if the song should provide a soundtrack to a skipping game.  I’d kick the rope and get out; the whole kiddie vibe wears a little thin.

The title track shines brightly on this album. Russell, who plays all the instruments, brings in the lap steel and delivers a pop country tune where drums and claps pulse throughout.  The lap steel is a highlight and it is surprising that it doesn’t feature more prominently, as it could have broken the monotony that often curses pop records like this release. By this juncture even the most devout pop fan is looking for something a little left-of-centre and while ‘When You Break My Heart’ has some nice harmonies, it is so whiney that I’m sure even Ben Lee would even cringe.

This album could have been cut down to a good EP, as there is too much mushy, love struck, soapy songs which are born and belong in pubescent boys’ bedrooms. The kiss was okay. But let’s move onto second base.