Ratfink make music the way it’s supposed to be made. A little chaotic, slightly unhinged, and full of heart. WHEN U WERE MINE was recorded with a fifty-dollar mic, a hundred-dollar guitar, and a laptop that once had beer poured on it and never fully recovered. According to Ratfink, that probably added some flavour. They’re probably right.
Ratfink are Liv and Raph, high school mates recording songs in their Melbourne share house. They split vocal duties across every track, giving the album a conversational feel, like thoughts passed back and forth between friends who trust each other completely. That trust shows up not just in the performances, but in the subject matter too.
Lyrically, WHEN U WERE MINE moves through friendships, relationships, coming out gay, and quiet reflections on the state of the natural world. There’s humor here, but also tenderness. Songs feel personal without being self-serious, sweet without being naïve. Thanks largely to Liv’s presence, there’s a softness running through the record that balances its scrappy rock n roll energy.
Musically, Ratfink refuse to sit still. The album slides between rough-edged rock, RnB influences, and mellow dream pop without ever feeling scattered. The genre shifts feel natural, like flipping through moods rather than chasing styles. What holds it all together is the band’s instinct for melody and their commitment to keeping things human.
WHEN U WERE MINE sounds like a document of real people making music in real time, using what they have and saying what matters to them. It’s messy in the right ways, honest without trying to prove anything, and rooted in friendship above all else. This is DIY music that doesn’t cosplay authenticity. It lives it.
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