Melbourne punks CIVIC came out of the gate hard with head-snapping, fast-moving chaos inspired by Down Under legends like the Saints and Radio Birdman and well in line with latter day bashers a la Feedtime and Eddy Current Suppression Ring.
Early singles like “New Vietnam” were body-assaulting punk frenzies split with fiery guitar solos. Still, no band wants to get stuck in a rut, even a good one. CIVIC makes a dramatic departure in their third full-length, Chrome Dipped, infusing an expansive, trippy, hard-rock lyricism into its songs, now sounding more like QOTSA and less like the Marked Men.
First-time CIVIC producer Kirin J. Callinan has guided the band towards a sharper, more space-filled sound, stripping back…