SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE CHATS – HIGH RISK BEHAVIOUR

The Chats
High Risk Behaviour
Bargain Bin Records

Australia’s The Chats have released their much-anticipated full length, High Risk Behaviour. Self-described “shed rock” or “pub punk,” The Chats are raw, energetic, and intentionally DIY-sounding.

The album evokes a time past, when punk was raw and real. It offers The Chats’ own style of garage rock infused with early ‘70s punk sounds. Prominent are the clanging distorted guitar, fuzzy plunking bass, and hammering drums.

Subject matter is generally nothing deep – there are odes to drinking, partying, and eating. “Dine and Dash” is a song about not having any cash but needing a “feed.” Track “The Clap” is about exactly what it sounds like, complete with background hand claps. The more laid-back “Do What I Want” pretty much sums up what they’re about; much of the song is spent repeating “Don’t tell me what to do.”

Musically, High Risk Behaviour is no masterpiece, but it makes up for it in heart and humour. It’s endearing, it’s gritty, and it’s a hell of a good time.

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