The Chats

High Risk Behaviour

BY Ryan HaugheyPublished Mar 24, 2020

8
From Australia's Sunshine Coast, the Chats are storytellers — something you don't always expect from punk bands. Their stories are casual, conversational and extremely candid, while simultaneously direct and to the point. High Risk Behaviour, named after one of drummer Matt Boggis's ticketed offences, is a flurry of one- to two-minute tracks filled with Aussie slang and references.
 
Rebellious, youthful and sweaty, the Chats have the classic punk sound with completely fresh ideas in their lyrics. Right off the bat, "Stinker" might not be the way your average North American might describe an extremely hot day, but by the time frontman Eamon Sandwith belts the Aussie adjective over first chorus you'd know exactly what it meant.
 
"The Clap" is about exactly what you'd think, and if you're too young to catch their drift, the Chats will spell it out for you. Boxy bass tones and rubbery treble guitars are reminiscent of bands like Circle Jerks or Descendents and just like those punk legends, the Chats make moments shine with direct, straightforward, earworm lyrical hooks like on "Identity Theft" and "Pub Feed."
 
When each track ends, hooks remain in your memory; it's clear that after just one play-through, listeners would probably be able to list over half the songs on the album. The Chats say they don't try too hard while writing lyrics, but in this case, the simpler and less ambiguous the better. High Risk Behaviour is a slam to the skull with each stomp of the kick drum.
(Dine Alone)

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