Album Review: Skegss - My Own Mess

Stoners and slackers rejoice! The boys from Byron Bay are back, and this time they've brought a debut album along with them, My Own Mess.

Up In The Clouds kicks things off with a wistful melody, a banging chorus and an F major to F minor chord change that feels pleasantly emo. Lyrically they're best compared to Cheshire Cat era blink-182, with their every-dude type songs carrying a healthy dose of juvenile humour to help the growing pains go down. Road Trip is a little acoustic number with excellent hooks and the surf rock influence is still kicking on the lead guitar of songs like Couch Party and Margarita too. In terms of pure catchiness, Midnight Eyes is probably the greatest pop achievement here.

There's not a whole lot of originality to be found on this album, but whatever. Skegss have developed a sense of melody that's far beyond what most in the genre are capable of churning out, and when it comes to this kind of stripped-down indie-rock, that's really all that matters. Those who are already invested in this type of yobbo-rock music will definitely love the hell out of these 15 songs. And for everyone else with a vague interest in the sound, My Own Mess is a perfect entry point.