Labels: Crackle Records
Review by: Andy Malcolm
With the pending demise of Blocko, who is to carry the torch and keep the UK melodic punk
fires burning? Presumably Leatherface will keep on pumping out good records, but there needs
to be a young upstart to keep them on their toes. And Driveway Speeding appears to be that
band on this top notch new release from Crackle.
The band power through 7 songs in 23 minutes, fitting in healthy doses of crunch, gravelly
vocals and all manner of familiar sounds gleaned from surely plentiful hours listening to
Hooton 3 Car, the Snuffy Smile back catalogue and the ole Boat Race. So you’re not in for
any shocks, they don’t break out a bit of hip hop or spazzed out noise in the middle of a
song, they merely kick back and groove through perfect mid-paced tunes of a highly melodic order. They
have some obscenely catchy moments, “The Comforts of Home” being a song composed entirely of
catchiness. Part of “Cheapest Trick” lodged in my brain for a couple of days too, it kind of sounds like China Drum at times. They do sprinkle into some mellow jangly parts that could have been used by the Get Up Kids if they had decided to make a good follow up to Four Minute Mile instead of a terrible one. So its not remotely unpredictable but often thats exactly what the doctor has ordered.
Super solid release, would have been nice on 10″. Before this band are done they will
probably have toured Japan and done a split 7″ with a band called Big Tyre Lunge. Mark that
down. I want to see this band after a couple of beers so I can stand at the front with another beer and nod my head and tap my foot with a stupid grin on my face for 30 minutes.