Sydney punks Chicks Who Love Guns return with Moon Eater, their third EP in as many years.
It’s a short, sharp concise blitzkrieg of syncopated guitars, bombastic drums and Cass Navarro’s signature drawl which spews forth an endless array of vitriol.
Filled with four tracks clocking in at under fifteen minutes, CWLG give the listener no respite from their scrappy blend of punk. ‘Shin-Okubo’ is an ideal opening single; complete with a catchy chorus as Navarro wails: “I get the feeling I’m a joke told by an idiot.”
Last year’s ‘Run People’ was certainly a step up from ‘Vomit on the Dancefloor’, and here the band continue to evolve.
The title track sees the group as close to Gang of Four-styled post-punk as they’ve been yet; and while it sounds odd hearing them muse, “death to your disco song” atop a pounding disco beat; Navarro reassures us, “I smile…like I’m an alien/ or better yet a hypocrite.”
One of the most endearing things about CWLG is their sense of humour. Able to spit venom at themselves as much as anyone else, they’re a punk band who don’t take themselves too seriously, which makes their sneering go down all the better.
‘Quicksand’ begins with duelling guitar melodies which are equally obtuse; as the song builds to a chorus built atop a drone of screams and shrieks. It’s here that Navarro is at his most spiteful as he shrieks “even when I’m well you make me sick.”
‘Leech’ continues the barrage, and as the EP closes, you’re left wishing these guys would finally stop teasing and throw out a full length. Perhaps they’re holding off for fear that across forty-five minutes the constant onslaught would tire some listeners.
Three Moon Eater’s in a row might get repetitive, sure; but on its own, this EP is the perfect serving of Chicks Who Love Guns.
– Alastair Matcott
