Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Lucy and The Rats, Dirty water Records 2021.
Ex Melbournian Lucy Ellis of the Spazzys relocated to London back in 2015 and immediately gate-crashed the local garage/punk scene with her new band Lucy and The Rats.
They play an alluring mix of pop/punk that blends ‘50s/’60s girl band cute with brash power pop complete with catchy melodies and wonderfully unfiltered instruments.
Lucy’s ability to write catchy pop songs has been evident from the start and now she’s found the right mix of brashness in The Rats who bring plenty of punk/rock energy to their live performances and recorded work.
There are 12 tracks on the album with no track being more than three and a half minutes in length.
The songs are disarmingly simple but they are unbelievably infectious.
Lucy’s sugary sweet voice belies the strength of personality and character that lies within the lyrics, a strength that is not always evident on an initial listen.
The songs often sing of happiness and independence but there is a bittersweet element to them and the sweetness is always tempered by the urgency of The Rats musical drive.
Lucy’s backing band form the backbone of power punk/rock outfit Johnny Throttle, who are well-known in the London live music scene for their high energy stage presence.
It’s this underlying power that transforms cuteness into something altogether different.
Lucy and The Rats have often been compared to Blondie and the similarities are certainly there.
Lucy Ellis’ voice contains the same elements of sweetness and strength that Debbie Harry is so well-known for and The Rats bring plenty of musical edge.
Got Lucky is their second full length album following on from their 2018 self-titled release and, while it’s a little more refined than their debut, it still contains a lot of the urgency and vibrancy of their first album.
