Album Review: Bodyjar - Role Model

Punk rock doesn't need leather. It doesn't need eyeliner. It doesn't need breakdowns or double-kick, guttural screams or any sort of 'core affixation. Vocal hooks, constant speed and singing guitar work is all that's required to produce cracking punk, and Bodyjar have delivered that here – as they always do – in abundance.

The Melbourne quartet's first record in eight years is a little slow on introductions with Petty Problems and Role Model letting you feel your way back. But nostalgia is brushed aside by the time the chunky chords of Stranglehold introduce you to a blast of uplifting glory. Cam Baines knows his way around a melody, and it's his tone that really takes these songs into fist-pumping, pogo pitting, singalong territory. His lyrics don't need great analysis; there are no hidden agendas. They're humble, honest, relatable and they perfectly complement the no-nonsense playing that you get on the double-time jolt of Hope Was Leaving and Natural Selection, which cuts through more sections than a pro surfer. Together Alone kicks late and is probably the most perfect 'Bodyjar' song found here, complete with stuttering tempo changes, guitar soloing and a stirring chorus to latch on to, while Light is short, whimsical and ties the whole record up nicely.

Role Model is impossibly fun, and what could've been nothing more than a run around the park for old times' sake instead stands as one of Bodyjar's best albums. Now, to dust off the skateboard.