Tuesday, July 04, 2023

Bart and the Brats - Assorted Cuts


Less than a year after the release of Bart and the Brats' full-length debut on No Front Teeth and Big Neck Records, a superb follow-up is out courtesy of the same two labels. Assorted Cuts again finds Bart De Vraantijk (Pneumonias, Wild Zeros, Teenage Hearts, The Janitors, etc.) powering through track after track of trashy '77-style garage punk that's brimming with energy & masterful in its simplicity. If you like first album Ramones, Killed By Death comps, and '90s budget punk, then Bart and the Brats ought to be your musical spirit animals. Short and sweet at a running time of just under 23 minutes, Assorted Cuts is the kind of record you'd play for extraterrestrials to demonstrate what Earthling three-chord punk rock is supposed to sound like. A touch of keyboards gives this album a slightly different feel, but the musical approach remains grounded in thumping punk minimalism. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Bart's knack for writing high quality stripped-down punk tunes is on display as always. "And Then I Drink" could be my personal anthem. "Cold Beef" kicks the living daylights out of what usually passes for "Ramonescore." "Masochistic Pigs" is truly an anthem for our times. "Kicked Out of the Webelos" is a ripping, fully Brat-ified cover of The Queers' classic. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Lo' Spider at Swampland in Toulouse, Assorted Cuts is another crackling effort from the remarkably prolific Bart and the Brats. If you want to snag a limited edition vinyl copy, be sure to hit one the links below for ordering information!

No comments: