The LP was recorded in the Castlemaine countryside with Radio Birdman frontman Rob Younger producing, and was mixed and mastered by Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current, Sonny & the Sunsets).
CIVIC are without a doubt one of Australia’s most exciting acts at the moment. If that’s a statement that you disagree with, I’ll refine it even further by stating that CIVIC are easily Australia’s most genuine punk outfit.
If you still disagree, you’re just lying to yourself.
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Everything about the group is drenched in authenticity, so much so that if you stumbled across their newest release Taken By Force at an op-shop, you’d assume you’d just found a hidden Aussie gem from the 70s.
From the vintage Aussie surf poster style of the cover to the raw, rock and roll charged punk output the band are becoming known for, it’s quite evident that CIVIC have started to really lean into their influences, namely that of Sydney punk stalwarts Radio Birdman. This is a move that has seemingly been embraced by Birdman themselves, with the group’s esteemed lead vocalist Rob Younger serving as a producer on Taken By Force, alongside CIVIC’s newest recruit Matt Blach.
While songs like ‘End Of The Line’ and ‘Fly Song’ channel the aggressive punk nature that the group cut their teeth on, tracks like ‘Taken By Force’ and ‘Trick Of The Light’ change it up a bit, tying together old and new punk elements with moments of psychedelia in a powerful display that proves that punk doesn’t need to be overly fast or aggressive as long as it maintains its cause and integrity.
Taken By Force is CIVIC’s follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 debut full-length Future Forecast – an album of songs that showcased the band’s frenetic yet melodic sound coupled with introspective lyrics.
Taken By Force, is out now on Cooking Vinyl Australia, available on all platforms.
