The Mean Times are like prawns left out in the sun. They go off straight away and leave you with an uneasy sensation in your stomach.

Fittingly, The Mean Times’ second EP, ‘Raw Prawn’ encapsulates not only raw seafood, but raw rock and roll; raw power and raw emotion. It’s a rollicking 5-track adventure through indie rock, power pop, punk and soul. Gone are the everyday observations and anecdotes of previous releases and in are personal feelings and musings on approaching mid-life and having to adult. It’s teenage angst for people in the mid-late-30s. Whoa, heavy, man.

The Mean Times have appeared quiet over the past few years, but unbeknownst to many, the three core members (Eoin Clements, Tom Morgan and Rob Meerbach) have spent it diligently honing their craft. Song writing has been the priority – writing, rewriting and starting again until they were all happy with the end product.

Musically, the band has seen a shift from the synth power pop leanings of their debit EP ‘You’ve Got the Wrong Guys’, towards a more mature sound introducing multi-layered guitars, horns and strings. The Mean Times have finally found a sound and production that encompasses their live show and suits them quite nicely.

While the band did some recording at home, the EP was primarily engineered and mixed at Rolling Stock studios in Melbourne by Nao Anzai (Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, NO ZU, Kim Salmon) and mastered by Mikey Young of Eddie Current Suppression Ring. It’s retained the garage rock feel of their live show, while adding a new level of depth, space and nuanced dynamics.