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Melbourne-based female trio Git are essentially, and I've no doubt unintentionally, a tribute band. Australian musicians have proved themselves more than adept at aping and celebrating some of pop and rock's golden and not so golden eras down the years. So, to join the numerous Aussie Floyd's, Abba's, Doors and Cure's, we now have an act that bases its nifty little sound on...The Andrews Sisters. The glorious harmonies conjured up by Trish Anderson, Philomena Carroll, sister Sarah and Suzannah Espie are absolutely faithful to that time of Boogie-Woogie Bollock Box of Basildon Bond, but there's actually a great deal more to Git than this. Recorded live at The Rising Sun Hotel in Carlton, North Victoria, and at the Canberra National Folk Festival when Philomena was still a member, this is a well-captured document of extremely skilled singers and musicians at work and play. All four women are possessed of strong voices, and they are amply backed by a trio of guys who shine when required to join in. Andrew 'Big Boy Lemonade' Ogburn is particularly impressive with his barrelhouse piano turn. But besides the kitsch, there is a huge gospel and country influence also present, and the whole heady mixture is performed with great joie de vivre. Just A Closer Walk With Thee opens proceedings, setting the tone for an album peppered with devotionals. There are a couple of Pop Staples' compositions dropped in to add soul spice, a rollicking Ring of Fire, and some credible efforts to sell themselves as the Antipodean Sweet Honey In The Rock. The finest performances are when they totally silence the audience, as on the gorgeous Tumblin' Tumbleweed, Wasteland and Espie's When You're Gone. The preamble to the latter talks of the joys of holding vibrating pillows between their thighs. Later, they witter on about Thai food, as if there's no one else in the room. Delightful. It's all very good fun, because the enthusiasm with which they deliver is so evident. They tag themselves as alt.country, but that is simply not true. They aren't alt. anything, but they are a solid and quirky roots act of skill and, if The Rising Sun Sessions is accurate enough a record, a fucking brilliant night out.

Tom Sheriff
August 2002

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