An impressive debut release of dissonant, angular noise-pop nuggets!
Zero out of ten for that title, folks. But we forgive you, mainly because you’ve clearly focused on making this debut EP an absolute belter of an opening statement. What’s in a name, anyway?
Originally from Peterborough, and now divided between Bristol and London, Club Brat have been described as “a high-intensity punk/noise pop band defying traditional labels”, and we can’t say that we disagree. Sure, there are elements of great bands like Fugazi, Refused, At The Drive-In and Les Savy Fav, but Club Brat have taken those influences and fearlessly fed them through a meat grinder, resulting in four tracks that sound at once familiar and like no-one else around.
Opening track ‘25 Cameras’ surfs in on a siren-esque riff, before exploding into a melodic chorus, all topped off by frontman Ike McCormick’s enjoyably high-pitched vocals. Lead single ‘Goodbye Pop Culture’ follows, and it mixes a quiet-loud dynamic with some seriously spiky guitars and a refrain of “I don’t wanna have this conversations” that has long since taken up residence in our brains. They’d probably kill us for saying this, but it’s kind of…catchy?
‘In It For The Money (So-La-Ti-Do)’ continues along similar lines; there’s yet another beast of a riff, and this time Ike sounds like he almost roars himself hoarse during the first verse. Suffer for your art? Oh, and then some. Closer ‘Watch’ sees them throw everything they’ve got at the wall, with plenty of hardcore rage, and it all sticks. Remember how the all-conquering title track of Gallows’ ‘Orchestra Of Wolves’ debut signs off in a blaze of discordant guitar noise and howls of fury? Club Brat do something similar here, and it gives us the same shivers down our spines as Frank Carter’s mob did all those years ago.
‘4 Songs’ is not a comfortable or relaxing listen, and we’re pretty sure the band didn’t intend for it to be the soundtrack to a leisurely summer Sunday afternoon drive. For that, we salute them, and we can’t wait to see them live; check out the links below for upcoming dates.
‘4 Songs’ is released on September 12th via Venn Records.
- 25 Cameras
- Goodbye Pop Culture
- In It For The Money (So-La-Ti-Do)
- Watch
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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