{"title":"Rat Columns","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRat Columns is an acclaimed artist in the indie music scene, known for their unique blend of jangly pop and post-punk influences. With a discography spanning several albums and EPs, *Rat Columns* has captivated audiences with their infectious melodies and introspective lyrics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing inspiration from a diverse range of artists such as Massage, The Telephone Numbers, and Spice World, *Rat Columns* has carved out their own distinct sound that resonates with fans around the world. Their music effortlessly combines catchy hooks with thoughtful songwriting, creating an immersive listening experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHaving shared the stage with notable acts like Tough Age and The Stroppies, *Rat Columns* has proven themselves to be a dynamic live performer. Their energetic performances leave audiences wanting more, showcasing their talent and passion for music.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"babydoll","title":"Babydoll","description":"\u003cp\u003eBabydoll is the fifth Rat Columns album and, following 2021’s Pacific Kiss, the second to be released on Tough Love. The recordings took place in Perth, Western Australia, partially by engineer Jason Hayles in a 1960's office building that formerly housed the secretarial pool of a successful mattress company, and partially by DW in an industrial unit, and feature the ensemble cast of Taylah McLean, Chris Grunwaldt, Scott Payne, Richard Ingham, Cohen Bourgault and, of course, DW himself. It was then mixed and mastered in Melbourne by Mikey Young and Joseph Carra, respectively. Babydoll seems to mark a return to a murkier, dirgier Rat Columns format. Distortion is fetishized again and many small amplifiers were tortured in the album's production. Tempos have drifted down and the lyrical concerns move ever inward, in an inverse bloom. The mood is dour, introspective, circular, the songs long, and short attention spans are neglected. 'Cerulean Blue' churns through a crystalline memoryscape, homaging low-brow grunge auto-fiction and a partial history of mid-period rave. 'Life In The Jungle' is a fever dream of imperialist wartime fantasy projection. 'Heavenly Assault' attempts a crushing density amid visions of transcendent devotion. 'Virtual Sweden' takes us ever northwards into the frosted tip of Scandinavian détente. 'Babydoll', like 'Cerulean Blue', homages a primarily imagined low-cosmopolitan world of alt-lit digi-poets, bedroom fantasists, underwater prisons for gorgeous, gorgeous girls. 'Bees Make Honey' lets more sophisticated music machines into the conversation and marks the first use of vocal tuning software on a Rat Columns album, albeit in an avant-amateurist fashion. 'Jane, I Live For You' enters the space-ballad race, dreaming of synthetic folk-rockers, leaning on sampler keybeds in the half-light. 'December' is yet another tribute to fallen Stars, mansions on the hill, winter skin in cashmere sweaters, truth in education, love, faith, (im)purity. In all these respects, it is a classic Rat Columns record. Because all Rat Columns records are classic records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tough Love","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50430717231435,"sku":"2054755","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50430718738763,"sku":"2054764","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Babydoll_78460c88_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726851193"},{"product_id":"pacific-kiss","title":"Pacific Kiss","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePacific Kiss\u003c\/i\u003e is the fourth album from Australian musician David West’s underground pop band, Rat Columns. It was engineered by Griffin Harrison and DW in New York City and Perth, and mixed by Mikey Young in Victoria. \u003ci\u003ePacific Kiss\u003c\/i\u003e sees Rat Columns plunging headfirst into an azure sea of power pop, rock’n’roll and indie. The tones are bright and optimistic, though fans of confusion and gloom will still find solace in the album’s darker moments, of which there are a few. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tough Love","offers":[{"title":"Pink | LP","offer_id":50447338537291,"sku":"1111020","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3328b1cf-2f93-45ed-8d55-c797fbf6cfa5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727076250"},{"product_id":"candle-power","title":"Candle Power","description":"\u003cp\u003eRat Columns is the mutable musical project of David West, an artist as prolific as he is diverse in his output. West is the driving force behind the groups Rank\/Xerox, Liberation and Lace Curtain, he was also a member of Total Control, and most recently debuted a solo album proper. Rat Columns have left in their wake a trail of 7”s, EPs and two full length albums. Now a third album, entitled \u003ci\u003eCandle Power\u003c\/i\u003e is released through Upset The Rhythm. Recorded in Guildford, Western Australia, with the Perth crew of West, Amber Gempton, Louis Hooper and Chris Cobilis, \u003ci\u003eCandle Power\u003c\/i\u003e sees the band's universe of chiming guitar pop explode into new worlds of colour and shade. It’s an album as happy to walk home in the rain as it is to reel dizzily through daylight. It’s melancholic lilt tempered by a quietly-sung optimism. \u003ci\u003eCandle Power\u003c\/i\u003e tunnels further than ever before down the pop mainline, cutting in with moments of soul, disco and experimental plots. West is a magpie-like musician, unafraid to assemble songs from a motley collection of influences and ideas. He weaves songs together with a deft hand and an acute grasp for the memorable yet momentary.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Black or Magenta Coloured Vinyl (Randomly Picked) with Download.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50471269073227,"sku":"1005035","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50471269368139,"sku":"1005036","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9032ee97-172f-4418-8ea6-13af6820583d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727397842"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_dcf2b03e_thumbnail_4096_f01b29e0-d52b-4837-a2ae-b26d9caf48d8.jpg?v=1726851161","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/rat-columns.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}