High Risk Behaviouris the debut studio album by the Australianpunk rockbandthe Chats,released through Bargain Bin Records on 27 March 2020.

High Risk Behaviour
The band's lineup, album name and band name is shown amidst a white background, with avatars illustrating the band.
Studio albumby
Released27 March 2020
Recorded2019
GenrePunk rock[1]
Length28:08
LabelBargain Bin
ProducerBilly Gardner
The Chatschronology
Get This in Ya!!
(2017)
High Risk Behaviour
(2020)
Get Fucked
(2022)
SinglesfromHigh Risk Behaviour
  1. "Do What I Want"
    Released: 3 July 2018[2]
  2. "Pub Feed"
    Released: 22 March 2019[3]
  3. "Identity Theft"
    Released: 26 July 2019[4]
  4. "The Clap"
    Released: 16 January 2020[5]
  5. "Dine N Dash"
    Released: 6 March 2020[6]

It is the group's first full-length release following the release of two EPs,The Chats(2016) andGet This in Ya!!(2017).[7]The release of the album was preceded by five singles: "Do What I Want", "Pub Feed","Identity Theft "," The Clap ", and" Dine N Dash ".

It is the only studio album and last release by the band to feature guitarist Josh Price, who left the band in November 2020.[8]

The album debuted and peaked at number 5 on theARIA Albums Chart.It also charted in Belgium and Scotland, reaching number 15 in the latter country.

At theAIR Awards of 2021,the album won Best Independent Punk Album or EP.[9]

Background

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A year prior to the album's release, on 19 March 2019, the band signed a worldwide publishing deal withUniversal Music Publishing Australia.On the signing,A&Rrepresentative Arwen Hunt praised the band as writing "perfect, three minute nuggets about everyday things that are so obvious, they can only be genius".[10]During the year the band occasionally commented on the then-untitled upcoming album.

The album title allegedly originated from the offence listed onticketsgiven to drummer Matt Boggis forskateboarding in public.[11]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[12]
Metacritic80/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Clash7/10[15]
Consequence of SoundB[16]
Contactmusic.com[17]
DIY[18]
Exclaim!8/10[1]
The Guardian[19]
Kerrang![20]
Loud and Quiet8/10[21]
NME[22]

The album has received mostly positive reviews. Metacritic rated it 80/100, which denotes "generally favourable reviews".[13]Ali Shutler ofNMErated it four stars and stated that it was the "perfect soundtrack to being bored, broke and optimistic" and opined that the album saw the band "make good on their promise of being one of the most exciting punk bands around", ending with the review with the declaration that album would be "set to inspire plenty".[22]The Guardiansimilarly rated it four stars, noted it was "exhilarating, cheerily undemanding fun, something in scant supply at the moment" and compared the album to thefirst wave of punk rock in the 1970sincludingThe Saints.[19]Exclaim!noted that noted that it had the "classic punk sound" with a fresh sensibility in their lyrics.[1]

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The music video for "Dine N Dash" features a cameo byCecil George Edwards,notable from the famous news segment andviral video"Democracy Manifest".A recreation of the famous clip featuring Edwards appears in the music video's finale. The band have been somewhat credited with revealing the identity of the man in the video, which had been debated for many years.[23]

Australian thrash metal band Hidden Intent recorded a cover of "Pub Feed"as a B-side to their 2020 single,A Place of Horror.[24]The accompanying music video, parodying theCOVID-19 lockdown,featured a webcam video collage of the band and their friends "craving a pub feed" while in isolation.[25]

Track listing

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All tracks written bythe Chats.

  1. "Stinker" – 1:32
  2. "Drunk N Disorderly" – 1:15
  3. "The Clap" – 1:29
  4. "Identity Theft" – 2:42
  5. "The Kids Need Guns" – 1:17
  6. "Dine N Dash" – 1:14
  7. "Keep the Grubs Out" – 1:35
  8. "Pub Feed"– 2:25
  9. "Ross River" – 1:48
  10. "Heatstroke" – 2:20
  11. "Billy Backwash's Day" – 2:18
  12. "4573" – 2:30
  13. "Do What I Want" – 2:50
  14. "Better Than You" – 2:43

Personnel

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The Chats

  • Eamon Sandwith – vocals(1–2, 4–14),bass guitar(1–14)
  • Josh Price – guitar(1–13),vocals(3)
  • Matt Boggis – drums(1–14)

Production

  • Billy Gardner – recording
  • Mikey Young – mixing, mastering

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart performance forHigh Risk Behaviour
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[26] 5
Belgian Albums (UltratopFlanders)[27] 116
Scottish Albums(OCC)[28] 15

Year-end charts

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Chart (2020) Position
Australian Artist Albums (ARIA)[29] 50

References

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  1. ^abc"The Chats High Risk Behaviour".Exclaim!.Retrieved30 March2020.
  2. ^"Do What I Want – Single by The Chats on Apple Music".Apple Music.Retrieved7 March2020.
  3. ^"Pub Feed – Single by The Chats on Apple Music".Apple Music.Retrieved7 March2020.
  4. ^"Identity Theft – Single by The Chats on Apple Music".Apple Music.Retrieved7 March2020.
  5. ^Lefevre, Jules (16 January 2020)."The Chats' New Track Is a Friendly PSA about chlamydia".Junkee.Retrieved7 March2020.
  6. ^English, Laura (6 March 2020)."The Chats share video for 'Dine N Dash' & announce national tour".Music Feeds.Retrieved10 March2020.
  7. ^"The Chats announce debut album 'High Risk Behaviour' with video for 'The Clap'".NME.16 January 2020.Retrieved7 February2020.
  8. ^"The Chats replace guitarist Josh Price with The Unknowns singer Josh Hardy | NME Australia".NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News.1 December 2020.Retrieved1 December2020.
  9. ^"2021 AIR Awards Winners".Scenstr.com.au.Retrieved6 August2021.
  10. ^"UMPG Australia signs the Chats to global publishing deal".Universal Music Publishing Group.19 March 2019.Retrieved31 March2020.
  11. ^"High Risk Behaviour".JB Hi-Fi.Retrieved7 February2020.
  12. ^"High Risk Behaviour by The Chats reviews | Any Decent Music".AnyDecentMusic?.Retrieved17 April2020.
  13. ^ab"High Risk Behaviour by The Chats".Metacritic.Retrieved17 April2020.
  14. ^Collar, Matt."High Risk Behaviour - The Chats | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".AllMusic.Retrieved17 April2020.
  15. ^Rivers, Joe (24 March 2020)."Clash Magazine Review".Clash.Retrieved19 June2020.
  16. ^"Album Review: The Chats Commit the Near-Perfect Crime on High Risk Behaviour".Consequence of Sound.26 March 2020.Retrieved30 March2020.
  17. ^"The Chats - High Risk Behaviour Album Review".Contactmusic.com.27 March 2020.Retrieved30 March2020.
  18. ^Subscribe."The Chats - High Risk Behaviour".diymag.com.Retrieved30 March2020.
  19. ^abSimpson, Dave (27 March 2020)."The Chats: High Risk Behaviour review – dorkish fun from Aussie pub poets".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved30 March2020.
  20. ^Ruskell, Nick (2 April 2020)."Kerrang! Review".Kerrang!.Retrieved19 June2020.
  21. ^Kinney, Fergal (23 March 2020)."Loud and Quiet Review".Loud and Quiet.Retrieved19 June2020.
  22. ^ab"The Chats – 'High Risk Behaviour' album review".NME.23 March 2020.Retrieved30 March2020.
  23. ^Drevikovsky, Janek (8 March 2020)."'This is democracy manifest': Mystery star of viral video found at last ".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved14 August2020.
  24. ^"Adelaide thrashers Hidden Intent release Wolf Creek inspired single".The Rockpit.Retrieved27 May2020.
  25. ^"HIDDEN INTENT - Pub Feed (The Chats metal cover) OFFICIAL VIDEO".Retrieved27 May2020.
  26. ^"ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums".Australian Recording Industry Association.6 April 2020.Retrieved4 April2020.
  27. ^"Ultratop.be – The Chats – High Risk Behaviour"(in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  28. ^"Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  29. ^"Australian Artist (ARIA) End of Year Albums Chart 2020".Australian Recording Industry Association.Retrieved15 January2021.