Timmy and the boys have bought out their absolute heaviest release to date. There’s every chance when you throw in the CD and hear Thank God I’ve Hit the Bottom, you might think you have the wrong CD. Rest assured you haven’t. This album sounds more like the result of an amphetamine fueled punch up in the back of a tour van then 12 months in the studio. And with Rock and Roll, that’s a good thing!

There are some out and out classic tracks straight off the bat. Highlights are the angsty My Own Hand, the aforementioned Hit the Bottom, Nervous Kid and The Sweet Life. Slower moments such as Explaining Cricket (to Americans), Thuggery and Secrets still hit the spot. Even though they slow down, they never go below the speed limit. The page of this album is like mashing the loud pedal down through the floor and only slowing down when you see cops coming. All 35 minutes of it!

Sonically, this is You Am I’s best sounding album since Hi Fi Way. Songwriting wise, probably their best written since #4 Record. Every song is full of Roger’s trademark Aussie lingo and experiences. From the getting picked on by BMX Bandits as a teenager in Nervous Kid to the ‘You’re beautiful, but you’re fucked’ of The Sweet Life it’s all there.

What I like most about this release is that it’s the tightest lead guitarist Davey Lane has ever been with the band. There are great duel guitar parts in Gunslinger and sleazy bluesy harmonies in The Sweet Life and just plain no shit, hard hittin’ riffs all the way through.

If you want a listen, NineMSN are still doing a free preview of each track on the album. But you know what, screw that. It’s worth just going out and buying this. It’s pretty damn good.