It’s been a week now since we first wrapped our ears around Fat Picnic’s debut full-length album Get Out Of My Fridge. Since then, we’ve barely stopped listening. The album is a deeply infectious collection of genre-bending tunes, and we guarantee that once you dive in, you’ll be hooked as well.
So fresh of the album’s release, we caught up with the band for a complete run-down of each track. Take it away, Fat Picnic…
With an amazing debut album fresh under their belts, we caught up with Brisbane-based outfit Fat Picnic for a complete track-by-track run-down.
Can You Feel It
The opening track of the album is a call to arms for groovers and feelers, aptly titled Can You Feel It. It’s a hard-hitting gut buster that represents Fat Picnic’s signature dark soul/ska, infused with flavours of jazz and an electrified chorus.
Make Me Wait
Make Me Wait is medicine for the intensity of Fat Picnic’s more pumping tunes. It’s the story of wanting to be closer to a new potential lover, with all the awkward good vibes that come with that, translated into the care-free reggae that the band is well known for – groovy, delicious and sunny.
Kicking Back
Containing the lyrics that became the album title Get Out Of My Fridge, this track is the Fat Picnic personality that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This weekend hang-out jam is all about soaking in the good times, with a pre-chorus that hits home with a relatable message of what it means to feel ‘burned-out’. “I just wanna let go time to go and put my mind back on track… I’m kicking back”. This is the light ska flavour of part of the Fat Picnic banquet – a quick dose of positive juju.
Fat City
Digging deeper and grooving harder, Fat City drops in with some gut-busting funk-rock elements. Wah-guitar, funky organ, hearty horn-lines, and some fresh lyrical flows from front-man Graham Moes bring this tune to a real ‘brick-in-the-face’ climax that leaves you wondering where the heck this record will take you next. This Fat Picnic anthem combines seamlessly a multitude of elements and hooks.
Don’t Wanna Get Up
The single preceding the album, Don’t Wanna Get Up is another quick shot of happy sunny ska, with classy horn lines and an anthemic chorus that a crowd can chant along to. The lyrics present a sequel to Make Me Wait, cheekily referencing the same story arc. This is one of the 3 tracks from the record that was recorded live in the studio, captured masterfully by engineer and producer Paulie Bromley.
Feeling Good Feeling Bad
Feeling Good Feeling Bad is a restful, island-vibing, ukulele jam with layered vocal harmonies, mellow percussion and a soothing slide guitar solo. Its singable chorus makes it a requested song at most live performances.
Beautiful Girls
One of the band’s older songs rejuvenated with layers of tasteful rhythm instruments, vocal harmony and driving percussion that culminates with a festive drum break-down. The message of this song is encapsulated with the line “So why should my love be ill when my cup is full and I don’t really need all of those Beautiful Girls” – an anthem for independence and self-validation being at the core of one’s values.
Cheap Lovers
The music to Cheap Lovers was written originally after a short tour with QLD bands Cheap Fakes and The Mouldy Lovers. Despite the lyrics, the band continued to refer to the tune as Cheap Lovers paying homage to the 2 bands that inspired the sound and style. It’s a soulful driving ska rebellion culminating in an expansive outro that layers and repeats a vocal refrain until the song’s explosive climax.
Tightrope
This is the first song written in the band with new frontman Graham Moes back in 2015. It captures the darker and deeper elements of the band’s sound with tight dub-reggae, trance-inducing hooks and a sax solo that takes you to a dream-like sonic space. The meaning of the lyrics is captured eloquently with the line “this is a one-man revolution”.
Sending Out Love
Aptly placed in the record as the final explosive climax, sending out love is a band favourite that boasts an original blend of hard hitting dub reggae and hip-hop. It features the rhythmic prowess of Graham’s vocals, and a seasoning of jazz hooks that brings this track into a genre of its own. Sending Out Love takes the listener through 3 unique ‘movements’ – hip-hop/dub, circus waltz, and pumping ska, breaking away from their pop orientated structures which lands them with a masterpiece roots-rhapsody.
The Mums
Originally an in-band joke about demographics, this jazz/hip-hop piece has become a tribute to mothers everywhere. It also places the band in a genre that isn’t represented very often in their music, but shows off the jazz influences at play in the band. It features Dan Khoury on keys, and was recorded live at Yama-nui studios.
Comfy
Rounding off the album with a gentle island-roots singalong is Comfy. This song gained reputation when released live on the band’s youtube channel, and has since been countlessly requested. This song is a thank you to friends and fans who have supported the band over the years.
Get Out Of My Fridge is available now. Listen above.
