Don’t look for any innovation or other artsy gestures on High Risk Behaviour. Over 14 short, Ramones-style songs, The Chats have no pretensions to anything other than to have a good time, and throw some no-frills garage-punk in your face. Dumb teenage lyrics, a bit cretinous and proud of it (check out their videos, you’ll understand), pure contagious kid energy and an irresistible Aussie accent as a bonus, that’s roughly the menu of this first full-length album from the Queensland combo. The three brats in The Chats are right in line with their compatriots Amyl & The Sniffers, the Beastie Boys in their hardcore phase or, closer to home, Dale Hawerchuk; it’s simple, efficient, it’s a bit wrong sometimes, but it’s mostly sincerity and real pleasure that radiate through all this joyful mess. Nothing more complicated than that.
