by Jess Makler (unslump.substack.com)
Sydney’s Itchy & The Nits are back with their sophomore album, chronicling the joys of telling lies, stinky stinky men, and nudie beaches. For a taste of summer in the darkest of times, look only to Itchy & the Nits to toss you a swimsuit and make a splash.
Following their scrappy debut EP and two years touring across the US, EU, and Japan, the Nits have amplified the charm, crisped up production, and continued on their mission of spunky, fast punk akin to the Ramones meeting Courtney Bartnett at a beachfront concessions stand. Greetings From is rife with hits and slam-danceable classics. Boasting only 22 minutes of runtime, the 12 track album is endlessly repeatable.
The Nits are full of fun, but there’s also a surprising depth within their fast-paced output. Take the song “Cartoon,” a track filled with kitschy sound effects and banger lyrics “I wear the same outfit every day / And no one around me ever seems to age … The world starts spinning when you’re drinking beer / When you’re mad, see it close on your ears.” What might at first be a simplistic rendering of cartoon life also indicates a deeper sense of the stale trappings of toxic patterns in a relationship.
The Nits are your friends, and they don’t take shit from anyone. They’re not wasting their time on men who don’t communicate, on performing femininity, or on fear of saying the right thing. Sometimes it’s enough to be with your best friends at a show, to jump around the living room, and to simply exist.
Out on Anti Fade Records in Australia and Total Punk Records in the U.S., Greetings From Itchy & the Nits is empowering, exciting punk rock that’s throwing punches and taking names, all while surfing the grooviest of waves.