By: Nathan Shaw

I’m a firm believer that every teen needs a punk band for their most angsty moments. For me, The Chats are that band. Out of their short discography, the group out of Queensland, Australia has supplied a healthy amount of songs to slam your door to after your mom asks how your day was. God damnit, Kristin, I don’t want to talk about it! I want to head bang! A classic to play in this situation is Mum Stole My Darts, a track with a chorus of chanted “Oi’s” that makes me feel like a true blue Aussie. Also good is Do What I Want, a song that is so quintessentially punk, I end up trashing whatever room I’m in as the gritty chorus seeps into my ears. Recently, however, the “shed rock band” has caught my attention by subverting the genre of punk, producing songs with unorthodox topics. The self described “piss wrecks” have been gearing up for their freshman album, “High Risk Behavior,” with a series of tracks that find humor in contrasting the typical “punk style” with silly lyrics: a PSA on safe internet practices, Identity Theft, a desperate plea for a good meal, Pub Feed and most recently, a tragic tale of contracting gonorrhea, The Clap. Whatever the topic, the trio creates tracks boiling with energy, epitomized by grimey guitar licks, head-banging solos and shouted vocals with a fun and immature style. The Chats had their biggest break with their video for Smoko, a working man’s anthem about not working. Smoko, which now sits at nearly nine million views on YouTube, showcases the group self aware-brand of humor, and serves as the best introduction to the boys ahead of their upcoming debut, slated for a March release.