It was one of the last decade’s post-streaming musical fairytales, of how a DIY video made by a trio from Queensland for $5 (Aus) came to the attention of Dave Grohl and Josh Homme, whose subsequent patronage has helped The Chats become one of the most thought about emerging punk bands since Green Day.
Not that they deal in fairytales much themselves. High Risk Behaviour is a ripping nest of sawn off shotgun guitar chaff, with songs about buying drugs on the internet and getting hacked (Identity Theft), getting drunk (Drunk N’ Disorderly) and STI’s (The Clap). There’s more than a grain of their forefathers, the roughest and readiest Cosmic Psychos – here, but the pace is an unrelenting as the summer heat, most songs struggling to make it beyond the two minute mark.
Whilst High Risk Behaviour superficially sounds like it’s a group of lads on stage at the local pub, a few listens reveals plenty of scuffed, agitated pop gems. There’s no Smoko here either – the hit with the five dollar promo – underlining the confidence of a trio plucked from thin air but making music like they were born to be this popular. Get your mullets and sunnies at the ready – we’re in for a scorcher.
Read the full review here.
