Review / 200 Words Or Less
Cel Ray
Cel Rayzer

I don’t remember how, but I stumbled across Chicago’s Cel Ray in 2023 on the heels of their debut EP, Cellular Raymond. I was immediately hooked. After another EP and a single, the band finally brings us their debut long player, Cel Rayzer. To no surprise, it’s excellent. Cel Ray plays a brand of post-punk that’s lo-fi and streamlined. Singer Maddie Daviss delivers sharp, biting lyrics as her bandmates (Alex Watson, Kevin Goggin and Josh Rodin) lay down tight compositions with drums, bass and guitar (respectively). Most of the tunes are quick, but the band shows off it’s dynamic range with some slower BPM’s sprinkled throughout the album. Cel Ray probably gets compared to Snooper a lot, which isn’t a bad thing at all. I think Cel Ray’s sound has more in common with this decade’s crop of outstanding Australian post-punk bands such as Busted Head Racket and Pinch Points. Even truer is that Cel Ray sounds like… Cel Ray. They’re a breath of fresh air in 22 minutes and 45 seconds. Definitely get your ears on this ASAP, music fans!