Labels: Boss Tuneage
Review by: Andy Malcolm
I knew this one would be a corker from the first few seconds, the guitar gently chimes in to earshot, pacing the tension, stalking around, ready to kick off. It’s not much longer before everything does start flying and you are rooted firmly in your favourite UK melodic punk rock territory, as New Set of Bruises bulldoze into the melancholy heft that populates records by gone but not forgotten Hooton 3 Car (and, of course, Blocko – singer Nij here is a veteran merchant of tuneful regret and reflection), yet flirting with a little post-hardcore flavour perhaps in the region of Texas is the Reason. Oh yes!
There’s a mere six songs on display here, but each one hangs in there past the four minute mark, allowing plenty of time to breath and develop, which is what this style sorely needs. The band gets by on brute force, being a slimline trio, they rely on gunning the instruments rather than intricacy, and this also pays off big time. Each song packs in enough muscle to get the songs rolling along, but the music still broods and burns slowly for the duration. Standout for me is “Day Destroy Me”, with a classic chorus that rocks out mightily. There is little point in dissecting each track, because on the surface there are not massive differences. Nij’s vocals are not exactly going to wow those looking for technique or range, the song structures are kind of samey, the mood is generally kept on a tight leash, but none of these should be seen as negatives!
New Set of Bruises is a perfect blend of the UK melodic punk sound, and American post-hardcore. Plenty of people will find a lot to like here I reckon. Really good release from Boss T.