Dune Rats' second album, The Kids Will Know It's Bullshit, is the work of three '90s-loving knuckleheads from Brisbane who are snotty, love getting high, and rock quite convincingly. Like their early singles and first album, Dune Rats handle their three-chord stomp with surprising finesse, always making sure to lighten up the thick slabs of grungy noise with the occasional romp. They balance goofy songs about "Scott Green" (as in who's got green?), the ever popular anti-bullshit stance, and older siblings buying them beer with tunes that almost betray a light bit of maturity. "Like Before" even forgoes gnarly distortion in favor of an almost cheery pop-punk strum. A few of the songs here encroach on pop-punk territory, but the bulk of the album is noisy, nasty, and straight to the point. The point being getting wasted and acting the fool at all times. It's also full of really catchy songs like "Mary" and "Demolition Derby" that are spilling over with youthful energy and charm. Dune Rats are another link on the long chain of bands from Australia who rock super-hard and don't think too much. From early garage punk bands to AC/DC to the Hard-Ons and Cosmic Psychos, all the way up to Hockey Dad, it's a storied tradition and Dune Rats prove with their fun frolic of a second album that they totally belong.
© Tim Sendra /TiVo