Cosmic Psychos
Cum the Raw Prawn
Desperate Records/Rocket Distribution
Release date: Out Now
Review by Derek J. Huckel
Unashamedly brash, loud and loaded with the humour you’ve come to expect along with their trademark chainsaw buzz guitars. Yes, it’s the Cosmic Psychos back with their ninth album ‘Cum the Raw Prawn’. Following two years after the great doco on them, it’s what you’d want from them, the same but different, new but old. Fresh aural produce – from a farm in rural Victoria straight to you. It’s a deadset winner from start to finish!
Have a beer and put the album on! The first song on the album, and first single off it, is ‘Better, Not Bitter’ will burrow into your brain and stay for an age. Not my fave on the album but its guitars and Knights’ repeated slight drone of the chorus “IT’S FUCKIN’ BULLSHIT MAAAATE” rides the mid-paced tune perfectly so to be catchy by its near hypnotic ability. And I’m sure it’ll make it a winner at Psychos gigs, in the car etc., and parties in Australia and beyond! The clip for it is Class A scary a la the movie Wolf Creek.
You’ll find yourself dragged along for the ride, willingly or not, as the mix is just right on ‘… Raw Prawn’ of good rock, jokes, good tales, bitterness (‘Better, Not Bitter’, ‘Didn’t Wanna Love Me’) and talking rubbish with a touch of serious (‘Come and Get Some’). Don’t forget an essential Cosmic Psychos element of drinking, here in the guise of ‘Pint Girl’. Knight hands over the vocal duties on a few tracks with McKenna in his catchy ditty of jerks on ‘Fuckwit City’, and beers in ‘Pint Girl’, and drummer Dean Muller gives us a tale of a shady character in the driving ‘Cotton Mouth’.
It’s hard to pick a real fave on here as so many are standouts. ‘Ack Ack’ would be one by a good head with its slow building guitars, preceded by sounds of rain and loading a rifle, that doesn’t bust into a crescendo and hitting its speed till halfway through the five minute track. Title track ‘Chum The Raw Prawn’ and ‘Cotton Mouth’ would be others.
The sound on ‘Cum the Raw Prawn’ is crisp; the sound is perfect capturing all the nuances, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously which I think is part of its magnetic attraction. This is evidenced by its laid back great rock rhythm throughout and laughing heard here and there, with jokey outro’s to several tunes. They’re having a good time making it transcends to you in turn enjoying it too. Not bad for an album made down on the farm by the guys you can trust. ‘Come and Get Some’!
