Album Review: The Bellrays - Black Lightning

Some three years after it was originally released Stateside, Australians are now given a chance to legitimately acquire The BellRays' 14th(ish) album, Black Lightning. The opening left-right hits of Black Lightning and Hell On Earth should more than make up for the time difference for fans and newcomers alike. The band's unique and soulful take on speed-driven Californian punk rock is still as exciting as it always was. The star is still vocalist Lisa Kekaula, whose sexy, aggressive and passionate vocals really do separate the band from imitators and other vaguely rock'n'roll-influenced punk outfits.

Essential single, On Top, has the band's soul influence taking a back seat to soaring, classic '90s punk rock guitar riffs – again, lifted to heights not usually seen in such songs by Kekaula's vocals.

When the group do wear their soulful, rhythm and blues influences on their sleeves, such as on Anymore and Sun Comes Down, the results are equally as impressive from a distance, but certainly do want for the harder edge the band so effortlessly make their own.

In the age of the digital download, it's disappointing this release took so long to reach us down under, but that doesn't hurt how excellent the music is or change how much fun you can have with it. It won't win over anyone who's heard the band in the past 20 years and hasn't enjoyed them, but it's an admirable, energetic and beautifully defiant-in-the-face-of-trends effort from a band who know well enough to not know better.