A raw and filthy album about sun and booze, in which the aesthetic is so potent I began to drink half-way through writing this.
At last, Australia’s mighty pub-friendly trio has dropped another album of short but sweet bangers amid the period of self-isolation. I’m very happy to say that these boys haven’t tampered with their winning formula of simplistic lyrics and riffs, accompanied with their tongue-in-cheek nature and multiple references of alcoholism. There’s something about The Chats that, by their very nature, you just can’t fault them. They don’t exactly push the boat out when it comes to musical venture, but they don’t need to. As Eammon Sandwith (Lead vocalist and bass player) stated in an interview for Consequence of Sound; “We don’t make songs for people to look at in a fucking emotional or intellectual way. We just make songs for people to jump around and have fun to” It’s because of this attitude that these boys have cultivated a sound that’s so difficult to find in today’s industry. They make it sound easy… because it is. It’s the subtle art of not giving a fuck. But it must be maintained to the point where people realise that that’s exactly what you’re doing, and that is what makes these boys so loveable.
With the album clocking in at only 28 minutes in length, with 14 tracks featured, The Chats take you on a joyride of quick and playful tunes that will have you gasping for a beer in the sun. Now it kind of sucks that 5 of the best tracks on the album have already been released over the past year but I guess when you’re a shed-rock band that has an immense growth in popularity, you have to keep people interested somehow. And to be honest, I don’t think these guys care when they release their shit. Just listen to it and boogie.
The opening track ‘Stinker’ instantly assures you that, like every song these boys release, there isn’t going to be any fancy affects, over-production or cheesy lyrical content. Only filthy punk. The songs lyrical content couldn’t be better suited to the band’s aesthetic, with the subject matter being about putting up with the blistering hot sun of Australia. This theme is of course amplified by Josh Price’s surf rock guitar solo, making you resent the present situation of self-isolation during the start of this perfect spring. The following track ‘Drunk and Disorderly’ continues the iconic Chats sound, with a catchy chant thrown in the middle to satisfy those groups that are in fact drunk and disorderly.
The following tracks ‘The Clap’ and ‘Identity Theft’ (Songs in which the lyrical content is exactly what it says on the tin), are perfect examples of why The Chats have become increasingly popular. The lyrics in both are so simple, sloppy and hilarious that you almost feel like it’s an audio file of a song that your mates have written and recorded in their garage and sent to the group chat. And let’s be honest, the majority of people reading this (Whether you’re a fan of The Chats or just a fan of punk rock in general) will relate to ‘The Clap’ on a personal level.
Disclaimer: To honour the spirit of this album I just cracked open a cold one.
‘Kids Need Guns’ is probably as political as these guys will ever get. With its satirical implication being clouded by the upbeat sound and nature of their music, I don’t think anyone is going to be referring to the second amendment to criticise this song. Just another sunny banger really.
For me, ‘Dine N Dash’, ‘Pub Feed’, ‘Do What I Want’ and ‘Better Than You’ are the daddies of the album, with the latter taking the throne as number one. All songs are just as sweet and catchy as each other but there’s something about ‘Better Than You’ that makes it stick out amongst all other songs by The Chats. For this one they decided to go a little less aggressive and a little more light and summery, making it the perfect song for cruising on a skateboard during a sunny afternoon.
The rest of the songs work as filler for the album. I don’t mean to take away from these tracks at all. In fact, these “filler” tracks are just as sweet as the rest of the them, it’s just that there’s little more to say about an album that manages to keep such a consistently simple and catchy sound through-out.
I don’t think any of us can see these boys slacking any time soon. They’re the perfect example of a true modern-day punk band who will always write songs for themselves and nobody else. Whilst it is true that punk has become more of an ideology these days, The Chats have come back with a sound that reminds people where it all started (Whilst maintaining that precious essence of attitude). As long as they continue to love what they’re doing, we’re going to continue to love watching them do it.
Verdict 5/5
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