KEROSENE The arrival of Kerosene has been no overnight sensation with long-term professionals such as Buchanan and Bidmead bringing together an incredible volume of experience in both performance and recording. Radio programmers will no doubt be eager to air their combinations of chunky riffs and heart-felt ballads across play-lists everywhere. At first listen some might feel the influence of an array of legends from Bob Seger to The Stones and Don Henley to Keith Urban, but Kerosene bring their own powerful edge to the mix without the hesitance of some first albums. There is a confidence in the vocals of Bidmead that will win immediate belief from the audience. There is no hint of novice from these lads. The double hit value in the duel release of “Art Of Survival” and “How Does It Feel” will introduce many to a genuinely polished new act. “Art of Survival” presents us with a positive picking vibe of banjo from the start with a great country rock and west coast blues recipe. “How Does It Feel” reminds us that there will always be a place for brass and sax filtered through John Bettison’s string stretching guitar hooks. This is a made for radio track from the first “Hey Hey Hey!” The ability to nail a ballad through to the listener is lost on many but Bidmead has mastered the art of delivering life’s share of pain and loss in such tracks as “Drive All Night”, “The One That Got Away”, “In Too Deep”, “Light Of Day”, and “If You Need Somebody.” Brisbane author Venero Armanno would understandably be delighted to hear that his work has inspired such musical and emotional warmth as is heard in “My Beautiful Friend.” “Kerosene” a definite future single or great first album track for gutsy programmers starts with an intro that Bob Seger would be proud of and captures any true classic rock head’s from the outset and would be right at home on any collection of road songs. The off-set rhythms of “Down And Dirty” will have Keith Richards wondering if someone has been standing under his balcony. Any Stones fan will connect with the Keith vibe instantly. The order in which Buchanan/Bidmead and producers have decided to position the layout of tracks is impressive in the sense that lyrically it takes the audience on a journey from start to finish, through the ups and downs of the art of survival itself.