“A lot of hip-hop’s a rip-off but I’m a chip-off” claims Butterfingers frontman Eddie Jacobsen on “Anthem”, the opening cut to their second album The Deeper You Dig. In the wake of Adelaide veterans the Hilltop Hoods becoming the first Australian hip-hop act to hit the top of the charts, Brisbane’s Butterfingers are likely to follow suit.

“Everybody’s Ugly” borrows a rhythm from fellow BrisVegas residents Regurgitator, essentially aping “Miffy’s Simplicity” from that group’s debut Tu-Plang. It’s also interesting to note that the first single from The Deeper You Dig, “FIGJAM” (as in ‘Fuck I’m Good Just Ask Me’), samples a track from fellow Aussie hip-hoppers the Herd – is Butterfingers’ sophomore release a love-in for the community as a whole?

The sense of humour displayed throughout the album most certainly has an Australian bent, while Jacobsen’s rhymes are delivered with a staunchly Oztrayan accent. What Butterfingers most certainly have in their favour is that each moment on The Deeper You Dig is immediate and catchy, especially so on “Happy Well Adjusted Psychopath”, which has more rock ‘n roll to it than hip-hop, while “Beats By the Pound” borrows from the current fascination for `80s keyboards as its template.

Apart from mid-album instrumental interlude “Turkey Jerky”, perhaps the most surprising moment on the album is “Beautiful Music”, a reggae-like number where the groove is slowed down and spaced out, and Jacobsen’s surprisingly strong singing voice comes to the fore. Nevertheless, it’s the likes of “Everybody’s Ugly” and the irrepressible single “Get Up Outta the Dirt” that best exemplify Butterfingers’ sound – they just know how to make it sound like they’re having fun.