You know those days where you’re just kind of annoyed at the world and its patriarchal bullshit? You’re so irritated that it makes you want to laugh-cry. If only there was a Garage Punk album that would allow you to yell AND have a good chuckle, thus releasing all that pent up frustration. Enter Groundbreaking Masterpiece.
As far as outrageous and clever first albums go, Perth newbies Boat Show have knocked it out of the park with this one. Their debut LP tackles some serious issues in today’s society, punching you in the face with harsh truths whilst simultaneously delivering a tongue in cheek form of anarchy with its quick wit lyrics.
Made up of four feisty females and one feisty male, Boat Show is the brain child of Ali Flintoff, Jenny Aslett, Naomi Robinson, Indigo Foster-Tuke and George Foster. Groundbreaking Masterpiece shows that this is a band that is not afraid to call it like they see it, and do so in a short, sharp shiny way.
The album starts off hard-hitting with, “Serious”, a short tack with punchy drums and striking chords. It’s fast, catchy and immediately draws you in with its fury. This snarl continues onto the next track, “Cis White Boy”, one of the more notably politically inclined songs on the album, which absolutely tears into male privilege.
A lot of the tracks sarcastically comment on the oppression of women, with songs like, “Stupid”, and “Stay Alive”, taking ironic stances on ridiculous female social expectations. However, if you’re sitting there thinking, ‘sounds too political for me,’ stop right there. Putting all that aside at the core of this album is simply a colourful band who knows how to make catchy riffs. Their sound is fresh but nostalgic, and you can’t help but listen. The album closes with, “Transparent”, ending with a more serious and sincere note. Flintoff’s vocals take centre stage, delivering a dreamy, soft tune that lingers.
The energy of the band and the relatable lyrics make this an appealing album even if you’re not a fan of grungy punk. For a band that haven’t been around that long, they have almost effortlessly put together a simplistic sound that drives home important messages about the world around us. For a first album, that’s pretty impressive. Watch this space, it can only go up from here.
Review Score: 8 out of 10.
Groundbreaking Masterpiece is out now.
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