ALBUM REVIEW: Crash! – Rat Boy
As Homer Simpson once said, “and who could forget dear rat boy?” It turns out none of us as RAT BOY returns with new album Crash!, the band’s first in two years that brings a mammoth collection of 18 new tracks to their discography, all embracing suburban culture, working class lifestyles and rebellious nature that are packed full of black humour as they help us navigate our way through a turbulent time in the UK through a whole array of styles from 00s Indie, skater punk and grunge.
Up first is Broken which brings a delightful energy that harkens back to early 2000s skater rock, the pacing is wonderful as the almost rapping style of singing blends well with the punchy guitars, noodling bass line and fun gang lyrics. You’re almost picturing incredibly baggy trousers and spiky hair whilst listening to it. We get more of the same with High Life which brings a little more intensity to the album whilst keeping this skater punk spirit alive. Away Days is a love letter to going to football matches as it sings about hooligans vs police, blaming the latter for the violence on show at matches and proving to be an early highlight of the album. It’s a fun punching the air song and has a sort of RANCID/early 70s punk style as it goes hand in hand with Baseball Bat. Gun To My Head keeps the urgency and intensity of Crash! alive. Up next is Sick Of It (another album highlight) as it unashamedly employs a JAMIE-T style influence with a great grungy guitar and desperate lyrics which create something truly great with a huge chorus to boot. By the time you’re through these first bunch of songs, it’s almost unbelievable that there’s still twelve more to go.
A burst of energy brings back that 70s style of UK punk with great gang vocals with City Boys which is a great burst of energy with one hell of an ear worm that stays with you long after listening to it. Before there’s time to digest it, you’re well into the throes of Public Warning, another song with a great bounce to it that takes aim at those in power who will all keep wars going for their own greed and capitalistic needs. London’s calling with next track The River which does feel like a THE CLASH knock off but that doesn’t hinder it whatsoever as it has that funky rhythm with its guitars that become so prevalent with THE CLASH before returning back to a grubby pop-punk skater feel with Skeletons.
Another burst of energy brings the fray with Night Bus, a frenetic and melancholic fifty second track that details the hectic journeys of taking the night bus after nights out with all sorts of walks of life taking it. It’s humorous and fits in really nicely amongst the chaos of Crash!. Blind follows with a droll sense of humour as it takes aim at the likes of Reform, leading people who will believe anything which is fun but also makes you angry and how willing these people are. Want To Stay is a slight hiccup in what is a phenomenal album as it feels like it is treading familiar ground and could have maybe been trimmed or released as a B-side, it’s not a bad song, just nowhere near the quality of what has come before it.
S.O.S, in true punk style brings in a fun sort of sarcastic feel to it whilst also packing bags of attitude with it, it’s a short punchy number that tackles issues of needing help but not being able to get it which is sadly a factor of life these days and having to go your own route for help, it’s fun but frustrating the more you think about it. Dead End brings about a fun bouncy pop-punk vibe but with an Essex twist to it, it’s a combination that shouldn’t work as well as it does but here we are, the energy is relentless and it is clear it’s going to keep going to the very end. Another switch up in style comes with Arrested Development that brings a nostalgic feel to that early 00s indie sound and shows off the breadth of influences RAT BOY aren’t ashamed to wear on their sleeves. Reason acts as the penultimate track and is a fun mosh pit inducing track packed full of sneering British attitude as RAT BOY as they detail the sweet reasons they wants to keep an unnamed individual around so they don’t throw their life away to drugs before it’s too late. There’s a great contradiction in how it sounds and the themes and is another highlight, of which there are many. No Stars brings Crash! to a victorious close with its raucous finale that sees RAT BOY throwing everything at the wall one final time. One final time it gives you time to dance, sing along and just have a great time.
Crash! is very clearly going to be an AOTY contender. At eighteen tracks, you’d imagine there would be a few tracks that would outstay their welcome, for it to only have one song that doesn’t quite fit its genuinely impressive. Crash! is full of tracks that are packed with heart that help people make sense of an ever changing world through relatable lyrics that share experiences with everyone listening. It’s an album that never lets up as it combines all kinds of styles that surprisingly work together and has a beautiful DIY feel to it which British music is about anyway. The shows that this album will feature in are sure to be great too and one thing for sure is last year was Brat Summer, 2026 is sure to be Rat Summer.
Rating: 9/10
Crash! is out now via Hellcat Records.
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