Radkey - Cat & Mouse

Here are some words you don’t often associate with music made by young men: subtle, artistic, astute, developed. Yet Radkey, a trio of frighteningly youthful brothers from Missouri, have produced something which is all of the above and much more with this, their debut EP. ‘Cat & Mouse’ is nothing less than a authoritative statement of intent that bristles with the sort of song writing skill that a lot of bands who’ve been touring longer than this lot have been alive for could learn a thing or two from.

Radkey bring their craft to bear with a tried and tested, stripped down punk ‘n roll template dished up with a crooning vocal style that brings to mind the likes of The Damned’s Dave Vanian and even the mighty Glenn Danzig. Indeed, fans of The Misfits will find plenty to enjoy here, from the title track’s sinister, towering chorus to the skittering woah-along of ‘Pretty Things’ these are wonderfully catchy nuggets of dark pop whose ramshackle production only serves to enhance their nostalgic edge. Elsewhere, ‘N.I.G.G.A (Not OK)’ is initially reminiscent of a sped up White Stripes in the riff department before smashing its way into a hook that would quite seriously hold its own on any TSOL, AFI or Samhain record – high praise indeed.

The only possible complaint is that at a mere five tracks long, by the time you have immersed yourself in its macabre tones, ‘Cat & Mouse’ is already over. Such gripes merely reflect the quality of what is on offer across this EP though and when you consider that two thirds of the band aren’t old enough to buy a pack of cigarettes in this country, the level they are already working at becomes quite dizzying. A brilliant little record from what could be a very special prospect.