The Melbourne, Australia outfit Cable Ties’ third album All Her Plans is a nuanced blast of post-punkish rock as the group reaches scale highest summits yet.
The trio of Jenny McKechnie (guitar/vocals) Nick Brown (bass) and Shauna Boyle (drums) are in the flow throughout the nine songs presented here. Sounding much larger than a trio, the band worked with producer Paul Maybury, resulting in a rich final product.
Opening appropriately enough with “Crashing Through” the group lay down groovy, dance-laden punk with great guitar work, bouncing bass, and slapping drums. McKechnie has a fierce energy on the microphone, jumping out immediately as the opening track dissipates into a noise-filled ending, setting a high bar for the rest of the album.
The success continues with “Perfect Client” as the bass intro revs up before the slashing guitars and shrieking vocals. The group is also extremely comfortable in post-punk waters as “Time for You” is a standout single in the vein of modern Sleater-Kinney containing pop accents and handclaps while “Thoughts Back” stays in this same post-punk arena with repetitive, catchy lyrics reminiscent of Screaming Females.
“Too Late” and “Mum’s Caravan” are placed in the center of the album and successfully reveal two opposite styles from the band, as both tunes add instrumentation via Michael Beach’s piano, synths, and acoustic guitars. “Too Late” is reflective with piano and guitar solos all around McKechnie’s fluttering vocals which morph into banshee-like wails of despair while “Mum’s Caravan” pushes bright, Tom Petty-like guitars in pop song fashion around an ode to failed dreams and a yearning for adventure.
More in Cable Ties’ wheelhouse is “Silos” which rages against broken mental healthcare and prison systems by deploying galloping low-end, angsty vocals, and cutting guitars while “Change” brings on a pulsing bass drum combo, shoegaze riffs, and screeching singing as Elly Hewitt helps on vocals. The album ends with the contemplative “Deep Breath Out” which is sonically scaled down and allows McKechnie to show off her immense singing talents to wrap up a solid all-around album.
Cable Ties use their intriguing mix of punk, rock, and post-punk dance vibes with an assured delivery throughout the powerful All Her Plans, breaking out to a larger audience with committed songwriting, driven playing, and compelling vocal styles.
