Kicks, Hits, & Fits

When a band bases a large portion of their appeal on seeming charmingly ramshackle, they take a calculated risk when they decide to make their fans aware that they know what they're doing. The Exbats built their initial reputation with a pair of cassette-only releases that were good, rollicking fun (the highlights were collected on the 2019 LP E Is for Exbats) but sounded somewhat less than professional. While 2020's Kicks, Hits and Fits isn't a model of high-gloss studio craft in the 21st century, it does make them sound like a real band and not a bunch of lovable goofballs, and that makes a difference. Matt Rendon, the Exbats' former bassist, was the engineer for the Kicks, Hits and Fits sessions, and he and the group -- lead singer and drummer Inez McLain, guitarist and vocalist Kenny McLain (who is also Inez's dad), and bassist Bobby Carlson, Jr. -- have made this the cleanest and tightest Exbats album to date, complete with spot-on harmonies, commendable instrumental work, occasional keyboard and percussion overdubs, and audio crisp enough that you can notice all of the above. If all of this saps a bit of the Exbats' garage-centric playfulness, Kicks, Hits and Fits still sounds like the Exbats and reveals just how good a pop band they happen to be. "Doorman," "Immediate Girl," and "Florida" are as insistent and willfully raw as you would expect, but the surf pop-meets-girl group tunes "You Don't Get It (You Don't Got It)" and "Funny Honey," the nervy pop-punk of "Good Enough for You," the slightly bluesy lope of "Hey Hey Hey," and the quirky folk moves of "Maven of the Crafts" show off a greater skill set than one might have thought possible from the trio. Though they clearly haven't lost their sense of humor, the McLain family are more willing to show off their smarts on this album. If Inez McLain seemed like a really good singer on the early Exbats releases, Kicks, Hits and Fits reveals she's become a pretty great singer, with a greater sense of control but no loss of passion or fun. If what you loved most about E Is for Exbats was the scrappy feel and attitude, Kicks, Hits and Fits might not be the album you've been hoping for, but if you suspected there was a more accomplished band lurking beneath their ragged attack, you'll be happy to know you've been proven correct. ~ Mark Deming