A GLASS OF CORDIALE

Quirky rock bands have a colourful history in Australia. As far back as Daddy Cool, Aussie musicians and their audiences have enjoyed things a little different, a touch eccentric, a bit tongue-in-cheek. In a chronology encompassing Captain Matchbox, Mental As Anything, even the Cat Empire, creative takes on rock have been a hallmark of the antipodean scene. Lime Cordiale are a current manifestation of this entertaining story, writing catchy, often droll songs that avoid pop cliché yet connect with enough people to fill a summer’s worth of sun-drenched beaches.

Brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach formed Lime Cordiale in 2009. After some EPs, their debut album, Permanent Vacation, came out in 2017 and made it into the Triple J Hottest 100 for the following year. A solid beginning for sure, but not one that foretold how successful their second album would be, 2020’s 14 Steps To A Better You. This sophomore effort (as they say in the United States) showed increased sophistication in their song-writing without diminishing by one piña colada the sense of fun infusing these fourteen songs.

And people loved it. The album hit #1 on the ARIA Australian album chart and was certified 'Gold'.  Flinging out no less than nine singles from the album might have diluted their individual impact on the singles charts, but it certainly confirmed the depth of quality of the album. Then, just to confuse things a little more, four months later Lime Cordiale re-released an expanded version of the album that included six extra songs. No dispute: these dudes follow the beat of their own barrel-shaped percussion instrument.

Lime Cordiale video clips are an important part of the charm. Check out the delicious "Inappropriate behaviour" with a magnificently diabolical performance from the youngest cast member (not to mention a guest appearance from legendary impresario Michael Chugg). Another form of visual communication is  cover art and album design, and here Lime Cordiale have kicked another goal. Louis has created an engaging, eccentric linocut look that brings to mind Reg Mombassa’s striking art. The self-parodying portraits of the musicians tell you exactly where these guys are coming from: attention to detail, striving for excellence, yet not taking themselves too seriously.

If the upbeat songs show a homogeneity of style, that’s largely because of the idiosyncratic vocal mannerisms of the brothers. The lyrics, however, are truly individual and very entertaining; this is an album where sitting down with the 60 cm x 60 cm poster/lyric sheet is a great way to enjoy the music. You could also use the poster as an excellent coffee table cloth for when you have cool (but not clumsy) guests.

The quality of 14 Steps To A Better You is consistently high, but if you fancy sampling a couple of songs, try "Dirt cheap", "No plans to make plans" or "Robbery". And always keep a spare bottle of lime cordial in the fridge.

© Bruce Jenkins 2022

Lime Cordiale’s 2022 collaboration with Idris Elba, the 10" EP Cordi-Elba is available now.