The Herd - The King is Dead

Over the past few years The Herd have become a political compass of sorts for Australian youth. With the departure of the Howard Government in 2007 it comes as no surprise then that the first single, "The King is Dead" from their latest album, "Summerland" would be a final hurrah (of sorts) for the now-Opposition. With tracks like "77%", "Burn Down the Parliament", "Wake Up" to their name, it comes as some surprise that "The King" comes off as a surprisingly sophomoric effort, lacking the articulation and maturity of past singles, resulting in a track that can really only be described as bitter.

The premise sounds good on paper -- capturing the jubilation that was felt after Howard's demise -- but therein lies the problem. Following the election, like every election before, Australians heard the results, came to terms with them and got on with their lives. Howard sunk into obscurity, Rudd was front and center and people got on with their lives.

Fast forward several months when "The King is Dead" single was released ahead of the album. The track itself is musically unadventurous for The Herd, a group that is generally adored for their lyrical content and vitality on stage. Most listeners come to terms with this because, after all, this is what they're there for. So without venturing outside their comfort zone, The Herd have once again crafted a track to be judged solely on lyrical content.

It seems unfortunate then that the direction chosen was one of their usual fervour, an epic tirade that seems more than fitting when rebelling against an incumbency, but immature and simply petty when used in dealing with issues firmly behind us as a nation.