Second album blues? Fat chance. With Majordomo, Mornington Peninsula indie band Teenage Dads isn’t exactly all-grown-up. There’s a healthy amount of youthful enthusiasm sprinkled on it, the type that helped the Dads capture the 2023 Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist ARIA Award. No pressure.
Majordomo finds the Dads light on their feet, joyful, busy. Jordan Finlay and co. have created a musical time capsule with a direct route to XTC and Talking Heads without playing copycat.
They’re not immune to switching it up. “Commander” opens with a gruff dialogue: “A flat car, with no wheels/I hit the bar, in high heels”. “What It Feels Like” sounds like your old man’s neat record collection: The Strokes, tick. Vampire Weekend, sure. Single “Weaponz” cranks up the bass — weaponises it — and manages to be both tight and loose at the same time. Majordomo is a good time, with its feet planted in another era.
Stream: Teenage Dads, Majordomo
This review features in the September-November 2024 issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ. If you’re eager to get your hands on it, then now is the time to sign up for a subscription.
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