It’s inarguable. Call It A Day is deeply indebted to the sounds of yesteryear. Its author – Sydney’s one-man rock machine Jovi Skyler – wears that on his sleeve. He wears it like a freaking badge of honour – which of course it is (is there anything more artistically endearing than unashamedly embracing and advertising one’s inspirations?) but there’s much more to him than the 1990s inspo that he so proudly preaches.
Indeed, on first listen to the beginning bars of the opening track of the EP – the wonderfully titled Asshole – we were instantly reminded of legendary punk trailblazers The Ramones, and by the time we reach the chorus, there’s an undeniable touch of Billy Idol. There are definitely nods to the 90s (the shimmery pre-chorus guitars are especially grungey and sound like they could’ve been plucked straight from the Nevermind sessions), but the whole thing is, for the most part, rooted in punk as well as 1970s rock, pub rock and even a touch of glam. Special mention should be made to one of the catchiest choruses we’ve heard in ages – it goes “I’m the asshole, the asshole” – and it’s much better than that sounds! Trust us. As opening songs go, this one feels like a mission statement. An anthem about sticking to your guns and remaining true to yourself. The rebellion is strong with this one.
Lil Bo Weep has an almost rockabilly-on-crack vibe to it in the intro. When it fully kicks in, the spirit of The Cramps/Misfits is at the centre stage. It’s a snarling beast of a tune that knows only one speed: foot down to the floor and balls to the fucking wall. The snotty vocal again brings to mind the work of Generation X and maybe even Axl Rose at his most obnoxious and least overblown. Ostensibly a song about heartache, mistakes and trying not to be swallowed by regret, it’s also, more specifically, about the life and struggle of the titular late Adelaide songwriter. It’s also the only song we can ever remember using the phrase “primordial ooze” – alongside such beautiful sentiments as “you gave me unconditional love” – and that, ladies and gentlemen, takes some special songwriting engineering.
Frankenstein falls somewhere in between the sound of Dinosaur Jr and the songwriting of Johnny Thunders. The acoustic-led lament is the most delicate moment here and is as earnest as the day is long. “Stitched up like Frankenstein”, Jovi sings as he wrestles with whatever is going on in his head. This is soon followed by “Thought I was having a nightmare / turned out to be true”, and at this point, we can only speculate on what that nightmare might be. However, soon we meet lyrics like “she’s dying / she’s dying / life is so cruel / her heart stops beating”, and the picture painted by these torturous words couldn’t be clearer. A study on grief and a tale of tragedy, Frankenstein is a look at mortality through an atypically touching lens, and it’s as touching as it is surprising.
Closing track Rumble restores the tone of the first two. It’s imbued with the aforementioned spirit of rebellion and is built around single-mindedness, and is the very definition of “trust the process. It’s a song that was recorded in the 21st Century, but it evokes the spirit of a 1960s rock n roll party put on by naughty teenagers unbeknownst to the town’s disapproving adults. It’s what the feeling of not doing your homework in the 1990s and then skipping out on the detention you get for not doing it sounds like. It’s all vim and vigour, “piss and vinegar” and fuck you attitude. It’s a song for the disenchanted and disenfranchised, for those who are at peace (or at least trying to be) with being perfectly imperfect. It’s Mudhoney. It’s Sex Pistols. It’s D-Generation. It’s Soungarden. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
Entirely the work of one man, Call It A Day is a formidable artistic achievement. It came out way back in April 2024 and, regrettably, it passed us by on initial release, but rest assured, we will be paying close attention to whatever comes out going forward.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
