THE FRONT ROW

At long last, RATS have arrived with Rule The World, a debut album that pulls no punches, plants flags, and pours its whole heart into 13 tracks of gritty, groove-laced reality. The Liverpool five-piece, known for their no-frills storytelling and chaotic charm, finally bottle up the riot they’ve been causing live since 2018 and deliver something that sounds as much like a protest as it does a party.

This isn’t your average indie album. It’s a genre-hopping, teeth-baring mission statement, equal parts council estate poetry and carnival energy. With echoes of Jamie T, Gorillaz, The Clash, and a splash of Dr. Dre if he wore Adidas Gazelles and grew up in Anfield, Rule The World offers ska rhythms, hip-hop flair, indie grit and Scouse heart in one unruly package.

Lead single You And Me is a standout moment. It’s a little romantic, a little raw, and built for big-stage singalongs with its festival-ready chorus and sharply observed lyrics. It shows frontman Joe Maddocks at his most vulnerable, proving RATS can do sentiment just as well as they do social fire.

But don’t be fooled, this album bites. Section 60 is a furious reaction to authoritarianism and policing, with a beat that sounds like it was built to be shouted from a rooftop. Hard To Find is a reflection of modern-day survival in broken Britain, rife with austerity, inflation, and dead-end prospects. There’s anger in these songs, but also resilience. It’s music made for and by the people stuck between the cracks.

Across the record, there’s a palpable sense of lived experience. These aren’t characters or caricatures—these are mates, memories, scraps of nights out, and stories passed round pubs. Bassist Lowell Carragher puts it best: “They’re all tales of how we grew up, who we’ve known growing up, the good people and the bad people.” It’s documentary disguised as dancefloor-filler.

The production, courtesy of Chris Taylor (Blossoms, The Coral), captures the band’s unpredictable energy without sanding off the edges. Songs like Turn It Around and Over the Bridge go from laid-back groove to full-blown bounce in the blink of an eye. Guitars chop and stab, drums hustle, and Maddocks’ vocal lands somewhere between a shout and a sermon.

Despite their success as a singles band, what’s most surprising is how cohesive Rule The World feels. This isn’t a Spotify playlist, it’s a story. A lived-in, seen-it-all, scarred-but-smiling snapshot of working-class life in 2025. And while it doesn’t sugar-coat the bad, there’s a joy in the noise. A sense that, even if the world’s on fire, RATS will be there with a pint in one hand and a mic in the other.

In an industry desperate for authenticity, RATS aren’t trying to be anything but themselves. That alone makes Rule The World worth your time, but the tunes? They’ll keep you coming back.

FFO: Jamie T, The Streets, The Clash, Kid British
Playlist Pick: You And Me, Section 60, Turn It Around
Gig Tip: Expect sweat, swearing, and singalongs.