by Camelia Brennan (@cameliabrennan)
Released in March on Static Shock Records, Hot and Flustered is the first full length album by the Australian four piece Cold Meat, and undeniably one of the best punk albums to come out this year. Hot and Flustered dominates you with a little over 23 minutes of delightfully upbeat punk. You cannot afford to pass this one up.
“Bad Mood” is a stand out track that could potentially cure most bad moods, and incorporates everything you love about rock 'n’ roll — angst, screaming, churning guitars. Ashley Ramsey’s commanding vocals are iconic, and her lyrics are fun yet forceful. Many relatable topics are covered on Hot and Flustered, including the plethora of ways a woman’s work is taken for granted in “Women’s Work,” and also how ZZ Top is boring in “ZZ Top Hat”.
Hot and Flustered embodies everything there is to love about live music in ten unrelenting tracks. Though not to worry, this album has proven to still be fun listening to while thrashing around alone in your room. What better to listen to while the world burns around you! This album is full of predictable punk songs, each sandwiched between good old fashioned feedback, yet nothing feels boring or overdone.