Far Enough (Coloured Vinyl)

On Far Enough, released 15 January 2020 via Poison City Records, Australia’s Cable Ties sharpen their edges without losing the immediacy that defines them. It is a record that thrives on tension, balancing raw punk urgency with something more considered simmering beneath the surface.

Front and centre is Jenny McKechnie’s voice, a force that rarely settles. Critics have been quick to frame it as confrontational, even explosive, but what makes Far Enough linger is its restraint as much as its fury. McKechnie’s anger does not simply erupt. It boils, pulls back, then surges again with renewed purpose. Those quieter moments, where the band allows space to breathe, reveal a depth that pushes beyond punk’s usual quick-hit catharsis.

Sonically, the album sits somewhere between classic garage-rock grit and a harder, more forceful lineage of politically charged punk. There are echoes of riot grrrl’s urgency, but this is less about revival and more about recalibration. The guitars bite with intent, the rhythms feel locked-in and direct, and the band rarely strays far from their core mission. That focus is both a strength and, at times, a limitation. The record can lean into familiar territory, occasionally brushing up against predictability, but it never fully loses its sense of purpose.

Critically, Far Enough lands comfortably in that middle ground of respect and restraint, reflected in its Metacritic score of 75. Publications have praised its authority and immediacy, noting its raw, explosive energy, while also recognising the emotional nuance threaded through its more reflective passages. When those two modes collide, the album finds its most compelling form.

At its best, Far Enough feels like controlled release. It is not just loud for the sake of it, nor does it chase reinvention. Instead, Cable Ties double down on what they do well, refining their sound into something both cathartic and quietly complex. The result is a record that does not demand your attention so much as hold it, long after the distortion fades.