Itchy & the Nits: Greetings From 12"

Itchy & the Nits: Greetings From 12” (Total Punk Records) Total Punk calls Australia’s Itchy & the Nits “the world’s most charming band,” and I must admit “charming” is one of the first words that comes to mind when I listen to their brilliant second album. Their songs are simple, upbeat, and refreshingly free of irony, making Greetings From feel like undiluted and uncomplicated fun. While the presentation is straightforward and unpretentious, Itchy & the Nits are nevertheless one of those bands who sucks you into their world, and a big part of this is how the lyrical conceits match the music so perfectly. Itchy & the Nits pair their simple riffs and steady beats with songs about simple pleasures like watching TV and going to the beach. In lesser hands this would read as flat in an uninteresting way, but the way Itchy & the Nits flatten everything into their cartoon world feels thoroughly immersive. Certainly fans of Billy Childish’s “less is more” punk philosophy will love this record (and it’s not far off from the Headcoatees in places), but anyone willing to wander into Itchy & the Nits’ crazy cartoon world will get a huge kick out of Greetings From.