Bluebottle Kiss - Doubt Seeds
Review by Andrew Weaver
Rating: 98%

Some six albums and several EP releases into their musical career, not many bands have had as tumultuous a time as the likes of Sydney noiseniks Bluebottle Kiss. Signed to a major label while still growing and developing, they were cast aside in favour of more commercial acts, only to find their niche. Now with a settle line-up around frontman Jamie Hutchings, Doubt Seeds showcases an ambition of a band for the ages.

It’s become a fashion in recent times for bands to release double albums, but Doubt Seeds is one that is justifiably so – recorded over two different sessions, the distinct ten tracks on either side of Doubt Seeds are interlinked through the passion of the group, with Hutchings’ amazing songwriting skills coming to the fore once more. His lyrics are nothing short of sublime: “Harold Holt”, for instance, features the spellbinding line “And there’s a light stealing under the door for it knows no appropriate time”.

Capable of going from the extreme “Your Mirror is a Vulture” to the waltzing “The Weight of the Sea” and the gentle first disc closer “Little Disappearer”, Doubt Seeds is marked by its diversity. A range of extra instrumentation filters throughout, from the chorus of voices on single “The Women Are An Army” and “Sheffield Brides”. Jamie’s sister Sophie appears on piano on various tracks, while second disc opener “Dream Audit” is a scattergun of wild tenor saxophone, mirroring the Stooges are their vilest best crossed with Sonic Youth at their most avant-garde yet interesting.

Elsewhere the likes of “Fire Engine”, the hooky yet aggressive one-two punch of “Little Black Dahlias” and “The Judas Hands”, as well as the wonderful “White Rider”, scream out as likely singles. The thing that most strikes about Doubt Seeds is just how strong it is – to put a double album out without a single flat spot over the course of twenty is an astonishing achievement. There’s no doubt that Bluebottle Kiss will continue to sail under the radar of mainstream acceptance, but this opus is confirmation of their place as one of the great Australian bands of the last decade.