Bluebottle Kiss - Doubt Seeds
Review by Shayna Burton

Doubt Seeds is a rare find in the sea of mediocre indi-rock albums currently being over-played on Australian radio. But this comes as no surprise to the loyal fans of Bluebottle Kiss. The band has never been one to stick to mould or formula instead pushing the boundaries and always aiming for something they can be happy with, rather than what a record company wishes to dictate. This album is homage to all those artists Bluebottle members have been influenced by, and it’s a mighty long list. As the linear notes explain, the album is an attempt to take those influences key ideas and use them to create fresh new songs. 

This double effort swings from the classic indi-rock sound to incorporating string elements, female choirs and slower melodic elements. It is a sensory expedition. ‘Nova Scotia’ hits you in the face and doesn’t let up for over 3 minutes, ‘Sheffield Bridges’ is a dark wandering delight and ‘Dream Audit’ creates chaos to find perfection. However by far the standout track on ‘Doubt Seeds’ is ‘The Women are an Army’. The lyrical talent of Hutchings is without question, however the storytelling on this particular track is a worth a special note and alongside the female choir, it creates an atmosphere that isn’t surpassed by any of the other tracks. 

There are some experimental concepts found on Doubt Seeds. Probably the most prevalent is the chaos of sound on the introduction to ‘Dream Audit’, the opening track on disk 2. Also the use of the female choir on both disks and in particular on ‘The Women are and Army’ adds a dimension that compels you to press repeat. And the assistance of Sarah Blasko on ‘Dream Audit’ and ‘Speak up Memory’ is a perfect compliment to singer Jamie Hutchings fragile vocals. 

All too often a double album is the result of self-indulgence on the part of the artist. This offering from Bluebottle Kiss is however, thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. It is not merely indulgence; it is a case of creating something that couldn’t have been anything less. It would have been a shame to have culled songs from Doubt Seeds to make it a single disk, and it would have been our ears that would have suffered. Now other bands would take note, this is what quality indi-rock sounds like.