Rumjacks, The
Sober & Godless
This isnt a demand from the Sydney-based Rumjacks regarding their long-awaited second LP, Sober & Godless. Its the message the band members themselves took from a brief hiatus from music, a message to live by - in a world ruled by electronic devices and short attention spans, its solid advice indeed. Its also a message which has informed the next stage of their musical journey. Its a message which imbues the writing that went into Sober & Godless, a collection of stories told by a band who wear their working class roots proudly upon their collective sleeve, and who want nothing more than to make music that touches people, that people can relate to, that tells a story of today. The album is the mark of a band whove grown, whove learnt from experiences garnered thus far, and whove translated that into an album which will no doubt see them making 2015 their year. Its an album which is raw and honest, visceral and true, the focus on the stories, on the real life these songs are about. "Call it Celtic punk, folk, rock or whatever, we have to keep telling each other our story, thats the only thing that keeps us human," McLaughlin sums up.