The second album from Aussie punks The Chats brings to mind speeding down a dirt track in a wagon with rickety wheels that could fall off at any moment. It’s a frenetic experience that barrels along at breakneck speed, and there’s absolutely nothing smooth about it in sound or sentiment.
Even if that doesn’t sound like everyone’s cup of tea (and it likely won’t be), those who get into it will really get into it, and for good reason—there’s plenty across this breezy release to like.
There’s nothing sophisticated about this record, it is called ‘Get Fucked’ after all, but the simple, punk-to-its-core formula of choppy chords and shouty refrains still offers oodles of entertainment.
The witty punk ‘n’ roll of 6L GTR is stupidly catchy, as is its suitably fast follow up track Struck By Lightning, which is perhaps as close to Grease as a punk song could get (complete with shouts of “shoo bop shawop”).
The trio make darker topics sound infectious, too. The discontented The Price of Smokes is a cost of living crisis anthem if there ever was one: “The price of smokes has gone up again/I could already barely afford my rent/The price of smokes has gone up again/Those bastards in Parliament ought to be hung by their necks.” The jagged, thudding Panic Attack makes the adrenaline of anxiety visceral, with bassist and vocalist Eamon Sandwith’s teeth gnashing as he yells the titular refrain.
If there’s a bone to pick with this, it’s that this record is a bit one-note. While The Chats know what they’re good at and have plenty of fun with it, there’s not a huge amount of sonic variety. It means proceedings feel a little tautologous, especially when the tracklist is 13 tracks strong, and not all of them are as memorable as they could be. Regardless, it’s often a riot in the best sense of the word.
The Chats Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue May 16 2023 - DUBLIN Academy
Wed May 17 2023 - DUBLIN Academy
Thu May 18 2023 - BELFAST Limelight 1
Fri May 19 2023 - MANCHESTER Manchester Academy
Sat May 20 2023 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Sun May 21 2023 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NX
Mon May 22 2023 - CARDIFF Tramshed
Tue May 23 2023 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Wed May 24 2023 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Fri May 26 2023 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
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