When the opening tune ‘Who Took The Rain’ explodes out of the speakers it’s like alt post-punk was back in the room.  Combining punk rock early 80s style and pop tunes it’s a real flashback to Thatchers UK but with better production.

Mixing that reverb-drenched Dead Kennedys guitar squeal the Brats go for the jugular on the rapid ‘Signs And Semantics’ delivers the lyrics with a punch and a smeared lipstick kiss and encapsulates everything that’s good about this record. It won’t be to everyone’s liking but if you do crave some punk rock with a twist then this is going to wrap a smile around your noggin’ ‘Miss America Pageant’ is quality and begins a roller coaster ride of crash bang wallop over the next few tunes.

These California punks dive head-first into songs about the environmental crisis, systemic oppression, interpersonal/intrapersonal conflict, and the trappings of modern existence and everything in between. They can be punk as fuck and they can wrap it up in some awesome pop melodies and vocal lines whilst pogoing with the best of em.  The record was recorded early 2020 (which seems like a lifetime ago now) but with no means to tour the songs or get out and about it’s been held back until now.

By the time we reach ‘We’ll Find You’ the band are using it to hunt down their base when all this is in the rearview mirror and as the band hurtle on so does the pace of the songs as they shift through the gears to reach punk rock warp speed. It hits the meltdown into hardcore by the time they spit out the fantastic ‘Harvey Weinstein (is a symptom)’ which bleeds into the highlight of this here album ‘All Nazis Must Die’ (well, title wise anyway) its a cool surf/punk number but if they’d penned lyrics to go with this it would have been freakin awesome.  Oh well, a sentiment we endorse here at HQ anyway. 

As the album reaches its final knockings they pump out the brutal ‘LeBron James’ and the virtual slamdancing begins.  To shut this party down we are treated to the L7 meets Betty Blowtorch styled ‘I Want You’ and the Brats bow out of this top-notch punk rock party on my stereo – but I’ve not had enough yet I want more so I’ll just have to go back to the start and do this all again just like I’m sure you will when you go out and get a copy of ‘Confines Of Life’ with all its magnificent splendor.  Top Notch!

Buy ‘Confines Of Life’ Here

Author: Dom Daley