Labels: Mother Stoat
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Not being a fan of Sunderland FC, I have to draw on the very depths of my footballing knowledge here – I think Bobby Stokoe managed Sunderland to FA Cup victory in a memorable final many years ago. Either that, or he played in the game. The band Stokoe are a ‘super-group’ of sorts from Sunderland. And they feature Dickie from Leatherface, a bloke out of Hooton 3 Car, and 2 guys from 2 other bands I know nothing about. Oh, and Leatherface’s Frankie Stubbs engineered it.
It’d be all too easy for me to say it sounds like a cross between Leatherface and Hooton 3 Car. And I’ve only heard 3 Hooton songs. But it does sound like that. If you’ve heard and liked either band, then you *have* to get this. 2 little slices of brilliant melodic punk rock. Its nothing new, its not ground breaking. But you’re forgetting something. When a band plays this genre well, it rocks. Every time. Its hard to beat the type of guitar sound that the best British melodic hardcore bands have. Simplistic it may be, but is it ace or what?! This has that whole sound that comes out of the North East. Sudden bursts of guitar and melody that briefly signal a flicker of a similarity to the Wildhearts before chugging back into Leatherface and co. “Satellite” opens up a little slowly, but you soon settle in the pace of the song, which is carried a long by the brilliantly emotive vocals, the almost-harmonies (the backing singers just join in to boost the vocals, but often just for the last word of a line) and the driving guitars. And once the song has powered its way through a couple of minutes you realise how good it is.
First b-side, “Simon”, is just as good, if not better. More of the same as “Satellite”. These vocals and harmonies really hit me in the right spot. Sheer class. Alas, final song, “Give it Back” isn’t quite so impressive. But seeing as the other 2 kick my ass so hard that I can’t sit down, I won’t complain.
I doubt there will ever be anything else put out by Stokoe, so make sure you get this one. Ok?