by Krishan Meepe (@krishanye)
Off the back of a couple well received EP’s and 7” releases, Melbourne ‘gutter-punk’ group CIVIC have gained a reputation large enough to catch the eye of punk legend Henry Rollins, and it’s easy to see why. “Shake Like Death” could easily be mistaken for a Black Flag B-side if you weren’t paying attention. There’s a healthy dose of jangle and melodicism that evokes a certain 80’s Australiana familiarity, but Civic aren’t quite tame enough to let the pub crowd heckle them all night. You can practically hear the spit flying from vocalist Jim McCullough’s mouth on opener “Radiant Eye,” while the speed and urgency on “Another Day” threatens to break necks.
Released on Melbourne’s beloved Flightless Records (who you’d recognize as the folks behind King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Amyl & The Sniffers and Tropical Fuck Storm), Future Forecast feels right at home at the label - its tightly coiled riffage simultaneously celebrating the cult music of the past fifty years as many Flightless acts often do, while still feeling visceral and refreshingly direct.
An impressive and cohesive collection of songs, the quintet is full of energy on this debut, and it doesn’t sound like their taking their foot of the gas anytime soon. If you’re a fan of any of their label mates, but still yearn for the good ol’ days when The Saints reigned supreme, Civic might be your new favourite band.