There’s been more than the odd occasion recently where I’ve found myself “getting something in my eye” as I’ve been whisked away on some kind of H.G. Wells inspired time travel moment back to my teenage years, all thanks to the power of rock ‘n’ roll. Midnight most certainly had me laying down my soul to the god’s rock ‘n’ roll when I saw them live a few weeks back, and only last week the new album by Then Comes Silence had me up on a mate’s shoulders chicken dancing like an idiot (well, in my head at least). Step forward then the latest mob to have this effect on me, and have me two-stepping all over the living room, namely US hardcore punk (super)group Beach Rats.

Initially the brainchild of Pete Steinkopf and Bryan Kienlen from the Bouncing Souls, following a memorial concert for Vision frontman Dave Franklin where the duo teamed up with Ari Katz from Lifetime, and had one of those magic lightbulb moments in process. The whole thing finally came together when Brian Baker of Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion, and Junkyard fame relocated to Asbury Park, New Jersey, looking, as he always seems to be, for yet another band to play with, and then by adding in Danny Windas, AKA ‘Dubs’ on drums, the Beach Rats were finally born.

Having subsequently signed with Epitaph Records, (I wonder how that happened eh?) Beach Rats are perhaps the band Baker’s other Epitaph side project Fake Names should have been, as I must admit that (given the musicians involved) I was fully expecting to love that record, yet it all kind of left me cold. Thankfully then, ‘Rat Beat’ is hotter than the UK’s annual couple of days of sunshine that we like to call summer. With just two of the album’s dozen tracks passing the two-minute mark, this is fast and furious punk rock, very much honed in the style of the early eighties’ crossover scene BUT (and this is a huge but) the songs also possess a much more contemporary edge (largely thanks to the vocals of Katz) which means there’s also the odd insanely catchy number in here too.

So, whist ‘Dress For Sick Sesh’ and album closer ‘Fuck You Dad’ might have me thinking of reaching for my copies of Cryptic Slaughter’s ‘Convicted’ or Crumbsuckers’ ‘Life Of Dreams’ for a long overdue spin, it’s the groovy as hell ‘Summers End’, the anthemic ‘Words’ and the more introspective ‘Clorox Boys’ where the melodies really cut through, and Beach Rats sound absolutely essential.

Look, if you’re a fan of any of Beach Rats’ associated bands then it goes without saying that you need a copy of ‘Rat Beat’ in your collection, but in saying this, if you are also a fan of the likes of Aerial Salad, Incisions, or Pizzatramp, you do also really do need to start saving your beer tokens and snap up a copy of this record when its released (on LP. CD and download) on July 29th.

The ‘Rat Beat’ is groovy as fuck. Now, go flip your baseball cap peak up and get ready to (slam) dance like a teenager all over again.

Buy Here

Facebook

Author: Johnny Hayward