CodefendantsThis Is Crime Wave

When NOFX announced that they’d be calling it a day, everyone was under the same impression. Fat Mike would retire to the South of France and live the rest of his days in a similar vein to ageing rockers such as Pete Dougherty, indulging in the finest wines and cheeses.

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So it came as quite the surprise when the 56 year old punk made the announcement that he’d be joining Codefendants as their bassist. But yet the hype was evident, with legions of Fat Mike fans immediately jumping on the group’s previously released singles and rallying around their newest offering, This Is Crime Wave.

And while This Is Crime Wave draws a firm line from Fat Mike’s previous work, with the iconic punk abandoning NOFX’s So-Cal punk roots for more of a nu jazz hip-hop inspired approach, it delivers some of his most inspired and forward thinking work to date. Which couldn’t have been done without the help of his newest bandmates, founding members Sam King (Get Dead) and Ceschi Ramos, who add hard-hitting rap flows alongside Mike’s jazz/hip-hop inspired basslines. And with Ceschi and King’s dualled rap vocals standing as the pillar of the group’s sound, drilling into your ears with a commanding sense of urgency, it’s hard not to pay attention.

This Is Crime Wave is a stark and confronting moment that works to highlight the true essence of Codefendants’ debut. That music doesn’t need to be brash or aggressive to warrant your attention.

Whether you’re coming from a punk or hip-hop background, there’ll certainly be a lot to warrant your attention. Abscessed brings in riotous dual yells of both vocalists harmonising, Suicide By Pigs adds an up-tempo Celtic-punk flavour, while Fast Ones sees the surprise inclusion of a guest verse from retired G-funk rapper the D.O.C. Stripping it back, Prison Camp–the first song Ceschi wrote during his 18 month incarceration–sees the group meld metallic drums and shimmering guitar plucking with profoundly textured lyrics, as Ceschi explores the self-imposed hierarchical nature of prisoners. It’s a stark and confronting moment that works to highlight the true essence of Codefendants’ debut. That music doesn’t need to be brash or aggressive to warrant your attention.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Abscessed, Fast Ones, Prison Camp
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