There’s no doubt about it, we’re all engulfed in chaos. Turn on the news at any moment and your fear will steadily creep up on you. Unpredictable world affairs, Australia’s cost of living crisis and the pitfalls of dating apps are just some of the stresses Kaurna’s/Adelaide’s new romantics Street Legal feed on to fuel their energetic debut EP, Bruxism. The title a reference to the medical term for teeth grinding, the five-piece extrapolating this trepidatious gnashing from anxiety into four uptempo dancefloor fillers.
This fast pace never lets up throughout the EP, which makes sense in more ways than one. Street Legal’s swift rise has seen them share stages with Aussie rock icons The Living End and Regurgitator, their music almost borrowing the former’s raw pop punk and the latter’s pumping electropop. The EP also has psychological importance, with lead singer Matt Hayward describing its core as “about finding connection and hope, even when times feel tough.”
The kinetic opening track ‘Cardio’ plunges head first into this tension. Every uneasy synth stab gets the blood pumping to emphasise the worry of being “out of touch” and how “the old world’s dying so the new can live.” The standout is the dancey ‘No Gods! No Masters! No Doorlists! No Bouncers!’—an earnest tribute to retro synthpop, complete with driving drum machines, lofty synths and a catchy hook: “I swipe left / I think I’m in love again.” On this tune, Street Legal explore the perils of modern dating, such as misreading signals and mindlessly swiping for matches.
Bruxism’s longest cut, ‘The Comedian’, shifts gears to a funkier, bongo groove with a relatable chorus on the tumultuous economic state: “The price of living! / Is getting me down! / We’re all sick of it!” Thunderous guitar solos accompany the swaying track until it peters out to a surprisingly sombre coda, ending with soaring howls and brooding synths hinting at the unrest this volatile economy has on all of us. Closer ‘Letters from the Occupation’ is a more standard indie rock affair, but nicely wraps up the project with themes on humans “not giving [their] all” to combat global issues like climate change. Also included is a bonus remix of ‘No Gods…’ by DJ Travis Cook, who puts a grimy techno spin on the already addictive track.
Everyone has their ways of processing global turmoil and Street Legal’s disco sound on Bruxism is their response to this modern existential dread. A perseverant band proud of their socially conscious artistry, Street Legal are undeniably urgent.
Bruxism is out now on all major music platforms. Keep up to date with all things Street Legal on Instagram.