Red Red Krovvy on R.I.P. Society Records

I really can't chalk up the great stuff coming out of Australia to just being bombarded by releases lately. Send enough in and the sheer numbers will take care of the rest? I think it has more to do with some of the labels that keep being behind exceptional releases; Dick Diver on Chapter Music, Kitchen's Floor on Bedroom Suck or Woollen Kits, Royal Headache and Cured Pink on R.I.P. Society. Red Red Krovvy are also on the R.I.P. so the bar is already set pretty high. What you get it frantic post punk punk an entire EP that reminds you why the format exists and how exciting tiny vinyl can be.

A-Side's "Dreams" has four notes in that broken down gutter distortion set the pace of this fast and spastic Yips style busted punk. Those rising scale chords rev this up to speed and they're finished. Ash on vocals is making this loud and loose while Adam and Ben give it just enough bass-less structure that isn't weighed down sounding stripped down and sharp. Another version of a perfect three piece the way it should be. "Ratking" buzzing guitars on this one, back and forth of a kick and snare with Ash belting out "You are the rat king!" The exact reason that seven inch singles became the choice of punk rock - here's an entire album in a convenient size. On "ICU" the guitars provide that numbing rusty can of thin strums that gives Ash room to chant vocals like the ugly baby of Divorce and the Coathangers. There's nothing funny or approachable about these guys, the tone is perfect, recorded in a basement, mattresses propped up against the wall, an authentic level of fidelity here. Tin guitar through metallic amps and those vocals are like the scrappy smart punk of Kitten Forever, struggling to keep above the static hiss of practice amps On "People of Cairns" I'm having trouble following Ash's rapid fire delivery, the metallic chords and slappy drums have now taken over their sound and rush it along with these lyrics. It should work alongside hardcore but retains it's laid back feel if that makes any sense. Putting just enough effort into this art punk to keep that edge.
B-Side's "EZ Video" is pure caveman punk, instead of a brutal hardcore they spit this up into clever pieces with sonic youth style inside tunings and timings at speed. Like a rough slap in the face there's nothing delicate for miles, bash the drums and repeat the chords. Strings scraping minus any low end letting loose on "Desire" the open high hat blending into the harsh string vibration. No sense in making this any longer, short attention spans are getting shorter and this is the only thing that makes sense anymore. "Centrelink King" Actually slows down into a drone-y cutting rhythm and Ash even pauses between her vocals getting more unhinged the slower they dare to make this.

Get this from R.I.P. Society Records who give some good advice on the B-side center label for retaining sound quality for years to come.