It was soon after reinterpreted as a herbivore 3, because it retained the herbivorous, diprotodontian template of enlarged first incisors, tiny canines, blade-like premolars and large masseter and pterygoid muscles. The species was initially described by Richard Owen in 1859 as “one of the fellest and most destructive of predatory beasts” 2, a view to which he was largely led by its greatly enlarged slicing premolar. The ubiquity of this species and its evocative depiction in Aboriginal rock art 1 suggest an important role in Australian ecosystems, but despite numerous skeletal studies, interpretations have remained controversial. These included the anatomically-bizarre Thylacoleo carnifex.
The inclusion of "Night Shift" and "Comfort Women" from the band's most recent EP was a smart choice those songs fit the sound and tone of the album so perfectly that it would have seemed wrong to leave them out.
Claw marks full#
From the furious, vintage Neighborhood Brats banger "Misery Parade" to the thumping, Aussie-inspired "Dumpster Values" to the made-for-singing-along anthem "Down 3rd" to the pitch-black apocalyptic pop of "Touching The Void", this album is full of memorable songs in a wide variety of styles. Put it all together, and you really do have a soundtrack album for the real-life dystopia that is 2018 America ("Late Stage Capitalism" just might be THE protest song for our times). Sometimes her lyrics are topical/political other times, they are intensely personal.
Digging deep into these songs, you'll find tremendous meaning in what Jenny is singing.
As always, Jenny's impassioned vocals are perfectly in sync with the sheer power of the band's music. There are still plenty of nods to late '70s/early '80s California punk, but this album also incorporates a heavy Aussie punk influence along with the dark melodic sensibilities often associated with "modern" punk rock. It's immediately recognizable as a Neighborhood Brats record, yet it displays songwriting chops far beyond what Jenny and George would have been capable of a few years back. Out on Dirt Cult Records, Claw Marks is a great example of a punk band building off of its core sound. It's even better than I thought it would be! If I were stating my case for Neighborhood Brats being one of our greatest present-day punk bands, this album would be exhibit A! But the hell with that! Claw Marks does far more than not disappoint. Well now it's out, and my cliched response would have been to say that it does not disappoint. After waiting four long years for a follow-up to the band's brilliant 2014 debut LP Recovery, a lot of us were super-stoked about Claw Marks finally coming out. If I had polled you all at the beginning of the year on which 2018 album release you were most looking forward to, there's a good chance that Neighborhood Brats' Claw Marks would have been the #1 choice.