all f’d up
***1/2
The ReadyMades have returned with a three-song EP of fun, danceable indie-punk-pop that’ll put a spring in your step and provide a ten-minute respite from your worldly cares.
Guitarist/vocalist Kate delivers solid howls that do her punk rock forebears proud, while Sam and Tina provide the backbone on bass and drums respectively.
First up is ‘Shoop Doop Daddy’, an ode to an irresistable lover with a bouncy, roller-rink-ready sound that starts off with an up-tempo tom beat before launching into a rollicking clean guitar groove. Watch out for the bridge’s vibrato guitar/organ build-up with layered harmonies that inject a brief dose of drama to the candy-coated jam.
Next up is ‘Frankie and a Half’, which opens with storytime recollections of life at Kate’s share house in Richmond over a rimshot shuffle. The ReadyMades are self-taught and this may explain how they were able to write the verse and the chorus in different keys (A# and D) with relatively uncommon I-VI progressions, which combine to give ‘Frankie and a Half’ a nice off-kilter vibe. It works on its own terms and does an impressive WTF on the ears for the first few listens, which isn’t a bad thing. If you pay attention you’ll hear Kate’s violin make a cameo in the breakdown.
The last track is ‘Effed Off’. It’s a straightforward rock’n’roll song with a beat you can skip to, wherein Kate declares that she is, well, “effed off” with today and all of the bitches and assholes in her way, and demands that her baby take her out tonight. We’ve all been there. It’s a fun uptempo rocker that, like the rest of ‘All F’ed Up’, has sincere attitude and is a likely soundtrack for good times.
Also printed in Bside Magazine 21 May 2015