Cable Ties – All Her Plans

After relentless teeth-cutting on the Australian scene since their genesis in 2015, Cable Ties have asserted their place as a serious frontrunner in the underground punk scene. Over raucous punk riffage and nostalgia-baked production, vocalist and guitarist Jenny McKechnie vents and delivers an array of hard-hitting lyrical content, packed neatly (or chaotically) into watertight tracks. Leaning into surf, garage and classic rock throughout their career, Cable Ties have carefully been forging a distinct sound, one that is more refined than ever on this brand-new LP. 

‘All Her Plans’ is a fleeting glimpse into the past, whilst still retaining a strong foothold on the present. The deadness of the hard-hitting rhythm section lay a quintessentially rock’n’roll foundation, a garage rock undertone with the bolts tightened with the upmost execution and quality. The tracks simmer, each one forming an unpredictable curve as breakneck crescendos and choruses linger at every turn. Opener ‘Crashing Through’ is angsty, Cable Ties ploughing through each passage with an inherent live quality; the punk and garage aesthetics of the record blossom through continuously, whether it’s the audible sweat of the opening track or the toms-driven, surfy ‘Silos’. The record, while nostalgic, never passes the point of pastiche or cliché, the trio proudly wearing influences on their sleeves and moulding every inspiration into one that is inherently Cable Ties. 

This marks Cable Ties’ third studio effort, and it is undeniably their strongest and most cohesive to date. Blurring the lines between all forms of guitar music, painting an abrasive and powerful design in the process, Cable Ties solidify their status as one of Australia’s most enthralling and intoxicating exports in recent times – which is no mean feat, given the calibre of the nation’s recent musical output. ‘All Her Plans’ is a triumph, a record that will certainly send these Aussie rockers to soaring new heights. 

8/10

Words: James Mellen