The hometown of this band is one of three partner cities of Backnang.
Where the f*** is Backnang?
O.k., let's start over.
RAT BOY from Chelmsford, located about 50 kilometers northeast of London, will release their third album on 04.10.2024.
Is RAT BOY a band? The internet reports more that it is a musician, but since you can't really make band music alone, at least not live, it is somehow also a band. Or is the internet wrong here and it has always been a band? That's how it is with the available information; just because it's there, a) doesn't mean everything is true, and b) you have to piece it together for yourself and c) understand it.
Let's focus more on the music, because it's there and clear and can be heard and bought.
I became aware because RAT BOY is releasing their third album on Hellcat Records, and Hellcat Records is not just any label.
RAT BOY offers thirteen songs on “Suburbia Calling“ that are as colorful a mix as a gin and tonic with gimlet and a bramble, garnished with a Newcastle Brown Ale and a cider.
Sounds like an interesting time?
That's exactly how RAT BOY sounds!
It starts with “Mob Mentality“. Finest old-school 2-tone. I'm shockingly in love.
Next up is “Rudy’s World“, also nice 2-tone, but here you can already hear what continues throughout the album. It's Brit-pop and punk.
Sounds strange?
I thought so too, but it sounds great and I almost wonder about it myself. Catchy melodies, fitting breaks, nice lyrics, you can't complain, as they say in Berlin.
“One in a Million“ goes one step further. Here Brit-pop comes to the fore again, along with rock, spoken word, and a decent portion of darkness. Again, fine melodies, fine breaks, good lyrics...you inevitably start to move.
Then there’s “Best is Yet to Come“, film music for a movie about England that hasn't been shot yet. Nature, suburbia, the search for fun and good vibes. Very pleasing and captivating overall.
We are not even at song number 5 and have already heard more good music here than other bands pack into a whole album.
The title track of the album is another punch.
RAT BOY is hard to categorize. They remind me most of Buster Shuffle.
Somehow I feel that RAT BOY with “Suburbia Calling“ is releasing more than just an album, but much more a way of life, a picture of England and its people. RAT BOY paints a social picture and has a lot of fun doing it.
No wonder Hellcat Records has taken RAT BOY under its wing.
For me, RAT BOY with “Suburbia Calling“ is one of the surprises of the year!
