We’re not even a quarter of the way through the year, and already I can tell you that the year will belong to Melbourne-based label I OH YOU. With the powerhouse thrash punk of DZ Deathrays releasing their debut LP, plus the recent snagging of Unearthed darlings Snakadaktal, their already impressive roster will be a strong part of the formative backbone of the newer generation of Australian music. However, before we even think about those releases, we have I OH YOU’s first LP release: Nothing To Do by Bleeding Knees Club.

The album opens with an up-tempo version of previous EP single ‘Teenage Girls’. However, in between releases (and a huge number of gigs) it’s been cleaned up and perfected. While it was a fantastic closer to the Virginity EP, it's an even better introduction to the album; the ooh’s and aah’s in the backing vocal track fit well with the stoner-surf vibe presented by singer/guitarist Alex Wall’s laconic drawl and So-Cal punk riffs, while the Dick Dale-esque bass lines coming from Jordan Malene are actually audible, unlike the drowned out bass of the previous EP. Overall, the sound is more balanced than the previous releases (cue applause of production), and is much better for it.

‘Hate Me’ keeps the breakneck pace going, while ‘Beach Slut’ brings the album to a grinding halt... in a good way, with a synth-laced intro while Wall laments about a girl, before exploding into a glorious ‘50s doo-wop style chorus with shades of Chuck Berry and The Pretenders. It's a break from the surf-rock influence we find elsewhere on the record.

‘Problem Child’ is another exception to the rule, reminiscent of Suicidal Tendencies, while ‘Girls Can Do Anything’ provides a simple call and response chorus far removed from the preceding track. ‘Lipstick’ is another slow cut that wouldn’t be out of place in the prom scene in Back To The Future, while also providing the longest track of the album at a terse three minutes.

‘Boy In Lust’, ‘Brain Waves’ and ‘Let It Go’ provide a perfect lead up to the frenetic single and title track ‘Nothing To Do’, with Wall’s lamentations about boring relationships quite neatly juxtaposed to the busy and breakneck track, also showing a slightly darker side to the relatively upbeat and girl-chasing lyrical content of the other tracks; a gem of maturity in a wail of focused teenage petulance.

‘Who Are You’ and ‘Same Game’ close it all out while maintaining the fast and fun mood of the album. This reviewer was caught out through his all-to-enthusiastic air drumming when the album looped around. It took me halfway through the album before I realized it had actually finished and started again.

Nothing To Do is an incredible album. The flow and tracklisting lend themselves especially well to repeat listens. Given that it’s a short, energetic and incredibly focused 27 minutes, that’s especially easy to do. Be it surfing, skating, making out in the backseat of your car at the city overlook... however you choose to listen to Nothing To Do, it’s a perfect soundtrack. Buy it.

Review Score: 9.5 out of 10