
For a debut, Midnight Fuckboys have stormed out the gate and swung for the fences with goon-fuelled voltage that marks them as talent to watch, Film Editor Rhys Lloyd-Jones writes
Images by
Korng Sok
Greatest Hits is a deliberately shaken up bottle of coke. Like the exploding soft drink, it is an adolescent frenzy of delight and bravado, fizzing and foaming with uncontrollable abandon. Midnight Fuckboys are clearly having fun, yet they don’t seem to be able to reign it in. The burgeoning Australian rock band, Midnight Fuckboys, have crept around the outskirts of indie rock since 2018. They’ve released a handful of songs, yet they’ve mainly stuck to touring locally on the other side of the world. Finally, with a hilarious and understated marketing campaign, they’ve released their debut album to the world.
It is an adolescent frenzy of delight and bravado, fizzing and foaming with uncontrollable abandon
Greatest Hits is a romantic odyssey disguised as a rock album
The band know when to go as hard as they can and when to understate things. ‘Bow and Arrow’ is a softer style of rock than most of the other tracks, carefully incorporating a piano weaved through a gentle mix of drums and quieter vocals. This jumps from a rising, powerful chorus to softer verses with surprising ease and it is one of Greatest Hits‘ most catchy tunes. ‘Stumbling Drunk’ is one of the album’s more conventional tracks, yet it is an accomplished, striking song that utilises the powerful vocals of Midnight Fuckboys in a reluctant, romantic stand out of the album.
Midnight Fuckboys should be complemented for their lyricism. These tracks are witty, self deprecating tunes that succeed in the rare job of combining punchlines and song hooks. Tonally, the adolescent, cocky tone is similar to other acclaimed albums such as A Grand Don’t Come For Free (The Streets), A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation (The Wombats) or Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (Arctic Monkeys). Yet, this album sets itself apart by simply being funnier than the rest. It is a confident, self assured piece of work that is one of the recent highlights of the indie rock scene. Whilst this album is unusually short and the unhinged, chaotic style of music occasionally sounds messy, their unique sense of music and humour is a joy from beginning to end. For a debut, Midnight Fuckboys have stormed out the gate and swung for the fences with goon-fuelled voltage that marks them as talent to watch.
Rating: 8/10
Greatest Hits is available now via Midnight Fuckboys
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