If debut albums are meant to serve as the gateway, a first impression, then The Belair Lip Bombs’ introductory effort paints a vibrant and emotive portrait of a band; built on strong songwriting and love for the craft.
The debut album from the Naarm/Melbourne indie group, called 'Lush Life', arrives as ten tracks of evocative exploration; stories that run a gamut of longing, seeking new horizons and discovering new paths to satisfaction and self-fulfilment.
The record captures gorgeous indie songwriting, helmed by Maisie Everett (guitar, key, vox) and fleshed out by a talented trio of musicians in Mike Bradvica (guitars), Liam De Bruin (drums) and Jimmy Droughton (bass). Featuring singles ‘Stay Or Go’, ‘Gimme Gimme’ and ‘Say My Name’, Lush Life is a perfect album for a first-time listener to immerse themselves in and for long time fans, the best pay off from the band who have spent the last three years charting their evolution beautifully through music and performances.
While the album features material written in 2021, there is music that reflects Everett’s songwriting journey from years previous. The fusion of stories from back then, through to those written mere months before Lush Life was created in studio, speaks to the great way The Belair Lip Bombs thread their work together to create a whole picture that has each element in its right place.
The project, recorded in 2022 between Naarm/Melbourne spaces Head Gap and Singing Bird studios, saw The Belair Lip Bombs work with engineer Nao Anzai (Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, The Teskey Brothers) on mixing and mastering.
Maisie Everett of the band explained, “The album is titled Lush Life - these words are referenced a few times throughout the album. Themes or motifs explored in the album often involve a longing for something that isn’t there, but maybe not quite knowing exactly what that something is. The term ‘Lush Life’ sort of describes a picture perfect world where everything is easy (but doesn’t actually exist)."
"Other themes (though all still connected) include longing for connection and intimacy - several songs express a desire for emotional connection and intimacy with someone else, like in ‘Say My Name’ and ‘Gimme Gimme’; also, the desire to escape routine and mundanity. The album has some themes of breaking free from routine and seeking something more fulfilling. In "World Is The One," the lyrics express a desire to escape the monotony and reject a conventional lifestyle. "Stay Or Go" reflects the struggle of feeling trapped and questioning whether to stay or seek something new.”
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