Single Review: Blink

Wow, I have to say the new single Blink from Macho Macho is extremely impressive! I was hooked right from the very first listen. Even just the intro, I mean, you can hear right away how much these guys have levelled up since their humble beginnings in 2018, playing their very first gig on the 12th September at Valhalla. Their recent single release party at the same venue marked their 50th gig, and it is really great to see this young local band sticking together and making real gains in their musicality, and the quality of their releases.

The songwriting is sophisticated, the rhythm section is mind-blowing, and the track itself is as catchy as all get out of town!! And I’m pleased to report, I have also given it the dance test, and yes; it passed with booty-shaking arms-flying colours.

The rhythm section is comprised of Connor Lyttle on bass and Dayne Robinson on drums and is the real stand-out feature of the track for me. It’s way funkier than your average indie rock band with alt-punk leanings. I have a real proclivity for raw obnoxious punk music, and I absolutely love the punk feel of the chorus and Logan McAllister’s vocals, but the funky breakdowns are such a sweet, sweet, fusion and I think that’s what makes this song one that you just really NEED to get up and dance to. Like Baloo in The Jungle Book movie, the music possesses your body and turns you into something resembling the twerking dead. So, props for that!

Both McAllister and Lachlan Burne tie the sections together skilfully on their guitars, with great use of interesting chord phrasings and excellent punchy riffs. Nothing is overplayed here, and what is played, is perfect. The backing vocals also cannot be faulted, all adding up to one seriously heck of a good track!

Big ups to Toby Lloyd of Tiny Triumph Recordings for the excellent production skills on this, and I am really looking forward to the subsequent recordings coming out of these sessions.

After having toured and played extensively around New Zealand, the cream has risen to the top, and Macho Macho are set to release this set of tried-and-tested crowd favourites as an EP. This seems like a great strategy, and if the rest of the tracks are anywhere as good as this one, I have no doubt of its success.