Labels: TKO
Review by: Christian Sayer
Not so long ago, a package from Toronto arrived at the Collective HQ. Expecting the latest obscure screamo band discography CD, Andy M eagerly ripped open the package. But alas! All was not well! The covers of these CDs had no soft pastel shades, elaborate handwriting, and pictures of bands rolling around on the floor or blurred images of buildings. Instead he was faced with pictures of GIs blue-collar workers and the Statue of Liberty. He felt a cold sweat break out across his forehead. Nervously he pulled out the lyric sheets, and before you could say “Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly’ saw that his worst fears were confirmed. There was much talk of “no justice’, “unemployment lines’, the Judge “sayin’ ten years’ and walks down “Hard Knocks Blvd.’ It could only mean one thing, his very own Room 101. Collective had just received their first “Streetpunk’ CDs!
He panicked. He saw his 2am poetry writing sessions flash before his eyes. Was he now going to be forced to take part in bar-room brawls and watch ice hockey? However with great courage he managed to pull himself together. “I know I’ll send distress signals all over this fair land’ (well put a note on his website).
There I was, sitting at my computer in Wolverhampton, when I saw Andy’s SOS. “No worries’ I thought, “I know loads of people who are into this sort of thing, send “em to me.’ It wasn’t “till they popped through the post that I remembered said friends had decided to travel down to Spain for the Seville protests. There was no choice but to review them myself! With this thought I became quite worried. Sure I can sing along to “Harry May’ or “Joe Hawkins’ and I know when to shout Oi! but my “streetpunk’ knowledge more or less ends there. Not one to back down from a challenge I gave it ago!
Anyway, this CD has 12 tracks of competent “streetpunk’. The lyrics are the normal thing with a strong left leaning (which can only be commended especially considering how much of the American “streetpunk’ scene is apolitical). Musically it’s similar to many of the bands currently on the TKO roster (on closer inspection it infact appears they have some sort of relationship with TKO). Overall decent but nothing amazing. I imagine this would be better live, but how many of you reading this would go anywhere near them!?”¦”¦.