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Rackets: Friends / High Places

Rackets are the band on everyone’s lips, so it seems. With two bFM
number ones (Bedsores and 42 and a half) and half a century of live
shows already under their belt, it’s not hard to see why. Debut albums
(yes, they have released a pair of neat cardboard-sleeved 10-track
discs) ‘Friends’ and ‘High Places’ have landed, treating listeners to
20 intense doses of raw, energetic musical goodness. Pieced up with
members from The Randoms and God Bows to Math, Rackets are renowned
for their intense live experience and quirky melodies. They have
stamped their ground on the Auckland underground scene and are now
making a big impression on the rest of the country. Only two of the
songs on these albums break the two minute mark, so both albums are
definitely required to satisfy – otherwise the experience is over just
a bit too quickly. They are the lucky kind of musical geniuses that
sound like they could churn out new songs at the drop of a hat, and
producer Bob Frisbee has perfectly captured their intense,
uncomplicated, raw essence at his studio. Both these mini masterpieces
provide a refreshing break away from your everyday three-minute-track
single album, cleverly leaving you wanting more after each listen.