Review | Alien Chicks – Indulging The Mobs EP

Label: Hideous Mink Records

By Issy Packer

London post-punk trio Alien Chicks burst onto the scene in 2022 with their debut singles ‘While My Landlord Sleeps‘, ‘27 Stitches‘ and ‘Woodlouse‘, and have quickly built a reputation for fusing genres in their studio releases, alongside their relentless energy on stage.

The electric band have finally released their debut EP, ‘Indulging The Mobs‘ via Hideous Mink Records. Kicking things off is ‘Curtains Up‘, shoving lead vocalist Josef’s chameleonic vocals at the forefront. From fast-paced, rap-like spoken word to a soft lament, the singer isn’t afraid to put his versatility on display.

‘Verbena Green‘ offers a change in pace; an underlying funk melody emerges from bassist Stefan before the track ratchets up a notch, exploding into the trio’s signature post-punk sound, only for it to recede again. Out of all of the tracks on the release, it feels most like the band itself: evolving, fluctuating and unable to categorize.

If ‘Curtains Up‘ put Josef’s vocals on full display then ‘Frames‘ allows the trio’s musicality to shine through. The cohesiveness of Alien Chicks is evident on this track, with the melody leading the majority of the song before Josef’s vocals takeover at the end. The explosion of noise at the beginning before we fall into a smoother melody is completely infectious.

The next two offerings on the EP are two previously released tracks, ‘Qwerty‘ and ‘Steve Buscemi‘. Like ‘Verbena Green‘, ‘Qwerty‘ opens with a slower pace, an upbeat, funky melody while harmonious vocals permeate the track. However, it’s not long before the track falls head first back into their crashing punk sound.

Elsewhere, ‘Steve Buscemi‘ leans more into their rap sound with Josef’s vocals racking up in intensity while the jagged guitar sound and satirical lyrics make it completely electric. It’s no surprise it’s a fan favourite at their shows.

If the second act twists are getting tiring by the time you reach the final track then you’d be forgiven for thinking the last track might be from a different band altogether. ‘Slinky Man‘ offers a reprieve from the trio’s traditional last minute change in sound and instead is stripped bare with Josef’s vocals and the quiet flick of a guitar rounding out their EP.

The last few seconds closes out with a bang; it’s just enough to put a smile on your face and serves as a useful reminder of who you’ve been listening to this whole time.

‘Indulging The Mobs‘ is a powerful debut EP. While it might seem the post-punk scene is bursting at the seams, there is certainly space for an exciting band such as this.