A pop-punk powerhouse from the dirty heart of Albury, Catnip Kaiser are a band cut from the same rough and ready cloth as Blink 182, Sum 41, and the ever-enduring Green Day. While they might have started as a cover band, bringing new life to some of their favourite pop-punk anthems, Catnip Kaiser have now well and truly raised the bar, dishing out original tracks that are packed to the brim with teenage angst and scathing reflections of our modern world. With a penchant for hard-hitting cuts that revel in the vibrant punk aesthetic that made the early 2000s what they were, the band have already made their mark on Australia’s blossoming punk scene, and now with the upcoming release of ‘Sunshine’, they’re about to set the standard.
After taking the Number One spot on the Triple J Unearthed punk and rock chart last year, it was clear that Catnip Kaiser were destined to make a massive impact, but their latest single has definitely taken things to a whole new level. Featuring Ocean Sleeper’s Ionei Heckenberg on vocals, ‘Sunshine’ is a song born from heartbreak, and while it stands tall as a titanic pop-punk release, it's tied together by a strong thread of vulnerability and emotional honesty.
Musically, its easily some of Catnip Kaiser’s finest work to date, lashing out with a deceptively gentle intro, ferocious, soaring chords, and their catchiest, most explosive choruses to date. Ionei’s vocals work is in perfect form, bringing that sense of emotion and turmoil to the mix, while all throughout the band work feverishly to push their instruments to the absolute brink, creating a chaotic medley of texture guitar, thunderous drums, and a shining pop-punk energy.
More than just your typical pop-punk single, ‘Sunshine’ is one of those rare defining moments in a band’s history where they step up to the mark and create something truly brilliant. It’s a moment caught in time where they say goodbye to the old, restrained sounds and turn instead to more anthemic and diverse creative whims. In an interview with Recurrent Verse, vocalist Jack McDonald said that ‘Sunshine’ is likely to define the direction of Catnip Kaiser’s new album, and if that’s true, it’s going to be one hell of an album.
You can pre-save ‘Sunshine’ now on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music, and be sure to follow Catnip Kaiser on their social media pages below so you never miss a beat.
Score: 9/10
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