Why did the woman of australia vote our dean (merino) grey as their diet-coke guy. it wasn't because he was a tanned and brave firefighter who looks great in a wife beater, no it was his talent as a singer, songwriter and casio enthusiast that brought him over the line. on baby crocodiles he delivers childlike precision pop about golf, axalotals, european cars and other issues.

ALBUM PREVIEW

TRACKLISTING

01 axolotl 1:33
02 every good boy does fine 3:20
03 hello little fly 1:31
04 vomithose 2:51
05 spaceman 1:46
06 european cars 1:47
07 got a key (for a brand new buick) 1:54
08 unlisted? 3:52
09 golf 2:04
10 tamagotchi 2:46

INDEPENDENT THOUGHT

BANANAFISH

"what would you think if you saw a bright yellow cd package with, in its center, a picture of a translucent, nearly larval baby crocodile? you'd rightly think that its title was baby crocodiles. if you then noticed that the artists name was deano merino, auditory visions would no doubt be conjured of self-produced songs swerving between the pylons of all the best forms of music, from rough-hewn blues to cocksure cock rock, and from early '80s new romantics to early '90s new indie explosion. the label, dual plover (australian for amarillo), tells you to expect lyrics that revel in the mundane absurdities of life, cars, and insects; you also know that anything called "axolotl" is a wide-eyed appreciation of the little buggers rather than a smug-eyed appreciation of cortazar. you're always right." - BANANAFISH

BUMSCUZZ

"DEANO MERINO IS A ONE MAN DIVERSITY MACHINE. ARMED WITH A GUITAR , HIS VOICE, A DRUM MACHINE (OR 3), A MULTI-TEXTURD ARRAY OF BENT SOUNDS, KEYBOARDS & BOTH GUITAR & VOICE EFFECTS-A-PLENTY. BUT THIS IS NOT NOIZE, OH NO, DEANO HAS AN INCREDIBLE KNACK OF TAKING BIZARRE INSTRUMENTATION & SUBJECT MATTER & MAKING IT INCREDIBLY CATCHY & EASY TO LISTEN TO (WELL HE GETS CRAZY A COUPLE OF TIMES!) A MASTER OF WRITING A GOOD SIMPLE TUNE, HE IS AN INCREDIBLE FIND IF THIS C.D IS ANY THING TO GO BY. I ONCE SAW HIM PLAY LIVE & I REMEMBER IT BEING A LOT SPARCER & NOIZIER, WHICH I ENJOYED FOR IT’S RAWNESS, BUT THIS RECORDED OFFERING IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT BAG OF AUDIO MIXED LOLLIES ALTOGETHER, WHILST STILL RETAINING A WARM , RAW, “HOME-MADE” QUALITY. IT BEGINS WITH THE MOST POP NUMBER OF THE C.D , “AXOLOTL” , A SHORT MULTI-LAYERED ACID HAZE POPPY SING-A-LONG . THINGS GO A BIT BLOBBIER AT THIS STAGE, STILL KINDA POPPY, BUT MORE LIKE DRUM –MACHINE / KEYBOARD/ REVERSE TAPE CHIPMONKS BACKING LAYERS OF BEAUTIFUL PICKING, PHAZER OVERLOADS. DEANO CAN REALLY PLAY HIS GUITAR LIKE A VIRTUOSO ( BY MY STANDARDS ANYWAY!) FLAMENCO, CLASSICAL, CHEESY LEADS , JAZZ/BLUES STYLE LICKS, HE KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND A FRETBOARD, BUT HIS CHOICE OF BACKING & EFFECTS MAKE HIS SONGS SOUND MORE LIKE TRIPPED OUT LOOSE, TOY INSTUMENT, KINDA LIKE WAY EARLIER BECK (OR WEEN) B-SIDES I GUESS AS A LOOSE REFERENCE. DEANO ALSO HAS A GIFT AS A SORTA TALKER/ SINGER/STORYTELLER THAT GIVES YOU THE IMPRESSION HE’D BE THE KING AT ANY CAMPFIRE! IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE HE HAD A LOT OF FUN DOING THESE RECORDING & THE VIBE RUBS OFF! (HAD ME & SOME FRIENDS DOING SILLYDANCING IN A MATTER OF MINUTES!!) THERE ARE SOME MORE URGENT NUMBERS SUCH AS THE WALKIE-TALKIE VOCALLED ACOUSTIC SLASHER “EUROPEAN CARS” WHICH HAS THE INSANE LYRICS: “EUROPEAN CARS/YOU GOTTA GO TO UNIVERSITY IF YA WANNA BUY ‘EM/I MET A GIRL IN AN AUDI, SHE STOPPED & GAVE ME A RIDE, SHE’D JUST BEEN TO UNIVERSITY, I COULD SEE IT IN HER EYES” MY FAVOURITE WOULD HAVE TO BE THE GRAVEL THROATED JAZZ/BLUES GUITAR OF “GOLF” WHICH IS PROCLAIMED TO BE “THE SPORT OF KINGS” & “EVERYBODY LOVES GOLF, COZ IT’S THE SPORT OF KINGS” , I HATE GOLF BUT I HAVE JUST CHANGED MY OPINION DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SONG AT THE MOMENT , SO I WILL BE HEARD SINGING GOLF’S PRAISES A LOT FOR A WHILE........... GOT A KEY (FOR A BRAND NEW BUICK) IS ANOTHER KILLER LITTLE ROAD TRAVELLING DUSTY RAMBLIN’ NUMBER, AND IT SWINGS BACK INTO WEIRDED-OUT KEYBOARD SQUELCHES & BEATS TOWARDS THE END OF THE DISC, I COULD GO ON ABOUT ALL THE SONGS INDIVIDUALLY BUT I WOULD ROB YOU ALL OF THE SURPRIZES IN STALL WHEN YOU GO & BUY THIS AWESOME HOME-MADE MASTERPIECE! DEANO MERINO, SOON TO BE AN AUSSIE ICON AL’A SLIM DUSTY (WITH A 303!!). HELP BUILD ON HIS ALLEGED 6-10 PERSON FAN CLUB, GO FIND THIS C.D & GIVE IT A LISTEN, IT’S STRANGE BUT TOTALLY BEAUTIFUL....... COMES IN THE DELUXE DUAL PLOVER CARDBOARD/VELCRO POCKET WITH CLASSY SUEDE-LIKE INNER ( PLUS A WICKED "DEANO” COLLAGE!) " - REVIEWED BY BUMSCUZZ