The Boomtown Rats - 'Citizens of Boomtown' Album Review

Released 13th March 2020, 'Citizens of Boomtown' is the first studio album to be released by Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats since 1984's, 'In The Long Grass', and their seventh overall. The band are sometimes referred to as 'The Rats' and are perhaps most famous for their 1979 song, I Don't Like Mondays, which got to number 1 on the UK singles chart.

I'm not the biggest fan of The Boomtown Rats because I think that their music can sometimes be a little bit heavy, and I prefer slightly softer rock... but wow. This album has blown me away, and I think that it is quite possibly their best yet. I'd argue that the thirty-six years of silence did them good - these songs are amazing. 

The album starts with Trash Glam Baby, which was released as the album's single. As the first song on 'Citizens of Boomtown', this song has the very important job of setting the tone for the album... and it certainly does. It starts with a guitar riff, and Bob Geldof's raspy vocals come in soon afterwards. With a shoutout to David Bowie's spiders from Mars, this is the perfect way to begin a comeback album, and yet another Boomtown Rats anthem which was written to be blasted at full volume. The official music video for Trash Glam Baby can be seen below:

Sweet Thing starts with a cool guitar riff, and reminds me of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. Does that already give you enough of a clue as to what this song is like? It's kind of grungy, but not as much as Nirvana's masterpiece, and is spectacular. What a track.

The third song on the album, Monster Monkeys, starts with a guitar riff - there seems to be a running theme here. Each song runs into each other, which I think is quite different as sometimes songs on albums sound like they've all been thrown in for the sake of making money. From the first three tracks, it is clear that this album was thought about and planned a great deal. Well, they had enough time to do it, I suppose. Some of the lines remind me of The Beatles' Come Together, especially 'Get out your laptop / Let's go Google Map scrolling'. Maybe it's the way that the syllables are sung by vocalist Bob Geldof, or that the words fit perfectly into the rhythm of Come Together.

The next track, She Said No, also feels like a Boomtown anthem. The instruments here seem to be somewhat louder than the vocals - or more intrusive, maybe. It's different, and makes the listener pay more attention to the sounds which are being played rather than the lyrics which are being sung. Something which isn't often heard in music, but I think it has a really powerful effect here. The guitar solo in it is also something which I love about this album. I think this song is my favourite out of all the ones on 'Citizens of Boomtown'. I blast it all day long.

With a haunting piano intro, Passing Through seems like a reflective song, and seems to split the album in half. The first four songs seem to be tight and flow into each other, and Passing Through, as the halfway point in the album, seems to also be a turning point on it.

Here's A Postcard is a light song. The guitar part on it is irresistible and I itch to play it on one of my own guitars. Also, it's fast paced, not unlike the other songs on 'Citizens of Boomtown', but seems so different. Not like it belongs on another album - it definitely fits on this one. Here's A Postcard isn't my favourite song on this album, but it has a certain charm that is impossible to miss. You've got to love it.

K.I.S.S. is catchy and different from what one might expect from The Boomtown Rats. It sounds like a summer anthem, without a doubt. It makes me think of dancing in the rain, maybe because of the maracas which are on it. I absolutely adore this song, and think it is one of the best on the song. Everything about it makes me want to get up and dance, sing along, and get involved. It's awesome.

The eighth song on 'Citizens of Boomtown', Rock 'n' Roll Yé Yé reminds me of I Love Rock 'N Roll by Joan Jett. It is very clear that this album has a lot of influences to it, and very upbeat. The chorus is a lot faster and upbeat than the verses, though, which I quite like because it means that the whole song is constantly changing pace. I think this one would be amazing when played live, getting the whole audience involved. Again, it seems like an anthem, one which should be played at full volume and shouted as loud as you can.

In my opinion, Get A Grip is quite like a club anthem. It's synths are electric and make me bob my head along. The energy which this song radiates is crazy. I didn't know it was possible to move this much whilst listening to a song. Get A Grip is the penultimate track on 'Citizens of Boomtown'.

The final track, The Boomtown Rats, seems to be a call to the fans of the band, a song to shout out. Again, this one played live would be something that I'd die to be a part of. It's fast and makes its listeners want to jump - not dance - which is something which is unusual in comeback albums. This song is absolutely crazy. Awesome. Maddening. I love it.

In case it wasn't already obvious, I am totally in love with 'Citizens of Boomtown'. Every song is infectious, and I can dance to the entire thing without ever getting bored or tired. The entire album inspires energy and excitement. What a great comeback album for a great band.

Boomtown Rats, the world has missed you.