‘Criminal’ is the brand new single from New York City (via Los Angeles and Hull) post-punkers SKATERS and is the perfect three-minute tale to get your weekend started.

It plays out like a modern day ‘Sympathy for the Devil’, with a latin/Steely Dan-infused conga beat playing under a totally huge Primal Scream-style vocal plus a Happy Mondays-esque piano sprinkling a little boogie on top. It’s a weird experiment, like a twisted US version of Baggy, that wonderfully produces something quite euphoric.

The accompanying video is a whole other delight. Illustrated by Cameron J L West, the animated short cements the band’s infatuation with the Acid House smiley face that’s transcended generations of music and tastefully paves the yellow brick road for this song to truck along to at its own pace. Lead guitarist Josh Hubbard explains;

“All good things come to an end…and some bad things. You always write a song when you come out of a relationship. Our new gf is way poorer than our ex. This video is another online relationship forged. The outcome…Sick Luton-based artist, Cameron West, kills the visual accompaniment for our new tune Criminal. God bless the internet and God bless America.’

‘Criminal’ drops right before the release of SKATERS’ sophomore album Rock and Roll Bye Bye (not to be confused with the EP of the same name) which is released March 24th on the band’s very own Yonks Records.

LIVE DATES:
Saturday 6th May – Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn New York

TRACKLISTING:
SKATERS – Rock and Roll Bye Bye (Yonks Records)
1. Just Like Your Mother
2. Northern Soul
3. Clip Art Link 1 Bubbles
4. Head On To Nowhere
5. Restless Babe
6. Song 19 (Revisited)
7. I’m Not A Punk
8. Respect The Hustle
9. Criminal Feels
10. Mental Case
11. Rock and Roll Bye Bye
12. In Your Head