It’s been over 20 years since the release of ‘Rock Music’, the last full-length studio album release from The Superjesus. With a host of singles already out there for fans old & new to enjoy, the question on everyone’s lips was always going to be “Have they already played us the best songs?”
So where do we start? With the ones we have already heard? Or the ones we haven’t? Well, let’s start with the big call, that this could very well be my Australian release of 2025… there, I said it!! Yes, yes, I know we are only in March but this will take some beating.
The singles have been fabulous so far – each one showing a different page to the new Superjesus book – but the unreleased tracks are equally wonderful. An album highlight kicks it all off – ‘Starlight’ is a huge opener, with it’s hooky riff and rhythm pulling you right in and with an anthemic chorus that excites me so much I want to hear it live. With a chorus containing the lyrics “Starlight, burning in my eyes like a million candles lighting up the sky”, it’s a punchy track with a hell of a lot of power & feeling.
‘We Won’t Let Go Until It’s Over’ clicks the pace up another notch and was one of my pick of the singles with another earworm of a chorus, Murray Sheridan’s driving drum beat and Stuart Rudd’s thumping bass lines. In a recent interview with Sarah McLeod she told me that they approached this album differently than previous releases, by trying to write an album full of singles – ‘Romance’ proves they have nailed that detail, and this is another stand out track… it’s such a rocker but it moves and grooves in so many different ways. Is it a dance track? Is it festival bouncer? It’s all and more, with an 80s electro vibe to the keys, another strong bass performance from Rudd and outstanding guitar work from mesmerizing Cam Blokland.
‘Money (We Are Only In It For Love)’ has been a strong welcome to the live set since it’s release, and was instantly received by Superjesus fans during their Lookout & Red Hot Summer festival appearances. It’s a fun, energetic tear up of a song that warms you up without even having to leave your seat.
What can I say about ‘Diamonds’? It’s quite possibly the spectacular jewel amongst the sparkling gems on the album. The piano intro sweeps you into the ballad, but it’s from here that it really glistens. The production is epic, with strings filling the ears and a real extenuated thump to the chorus. McLeod told me recently, “When I first wrote it, it had piano… and it had bass and drums too, to jazz it up a bit but when the boys got hold of it they really put some beautiful sprinkle dust on it.” And sprinkle dust it sure has, in abundance.
I first heard ‘Something Good’ at Lookout Festival in Perth back in 2024 and it immediately grabbed me and the rest of the crowd. A sea of bouncing heads and bodies jumping in unison – what a sight it must have been for the band up there on the stage. As with every track it also highlights the impact that guitarist Blokland has brought to the band, his incredible guitar work is drizzled all over this album, like a sundae coated in your favourite topping. And the studio version creates that same festival buzz – and a real feel good number after the grandeur of the epic ‘Diamonds’. It’s most certainly one of the party tracks on this collection of songs. ‘Loneliness is The New Black’ gives us a chance to breath with its soothing acoustic vibes and McLeod’s vocals almost giving a haunting feel. Hard to believe this songs earliest creation was a full on rocker. Apparently there were other versions recorded but this one made the cut. Great choice.
‘Gangbusters’ is another faster tempo banger which just screams hooks and rocking out. Jammed during one of the initial “get togethers” of the new line up, ‘Gangbusters’ highlights the immediate chemistry this new chapter of the band were and are creating – Another cracker of a track. It’s always nice to have a cover thrown in for good measure and Gen X’s ‘Dancing With Myself’ fits perfectly. Another track that has been delivered with joyous venom musically during the live shows, it captures the magic of the 1980 original, penned by Billy Idol & Tony James and has the added Superjesus spice of McLeod’s vocals – a welcomed inclusion.
‘Lights Out’ was not only a single but encouraged a successful national tour. Punchy & precise, it’s a foot stomping romp showcasing the incredible rhythm section of The Superjesus. A song that has personal & emotional ties to the band’s mainstays and written and dedicated to a much loved fan & friend, ‘Lights Out’ closes this fantastic collection and makes you immediately want to reach out and hit play again. Rhythmically Rudd & Sheridan shine throughout creating the perfect canvas, allowing Blokland to add his glorious brush strokes, with McLeod completing the masterpiece with her unwavering energy & vocal excellence.
With the band in a rich vein of form and creating an album of this quality I do hope they continue writing & recording – I can’t wait another 20 years on the strength of this release. Brilliant!
9.5/10
The Superjesus – Track Listing:
Starlight
We Won’t Let Go Until It’s Over
Romance
Money (We Are Only In It For Love)
Diamonds
Something Good
Loneliness Is The New Black
Gangbusters
Dancing With Myself
Lights Out
