Labels: Boss Tuneage
Review by: MH
This is a band putting a new album out 23 years after the last one. 23 years ago was a touch too early for me to have been aware of them first time around. However, with a few of the band members having gone on to play in Leatherface, I’d always been meaning to check them out. I finally got around to it this year with the recent 7inch which sparked my interest and led me to grabbing this one from the review pile. This will inevitably get compared to Leatherface and about 2 minutes into the opening title track you know it’s Dickie Hammond’s familiar guitar sound you’re listening to. The vocals aren’t gruff though and are more akin to something like Vanilla Pod than Leatherface. The whole feel of this album really fits in with the UK melodic punk sound – fast pace, chugging riffs, big choruses and that essential dose of melancholy. Of course, you need the songwriting too and they have it down to a tee. Apart from those flirtations with ska on bonus track “Toronto” this is a really solid listen and it’s elevated further by four songs which are absolute crackers – the first two, plus the stunning “Hand Me Downs” which was on that recent 7inch and “Dislocated” – these are the type of songs I flog to death by hammering the repeat button constantly. Never in any doubt – you’ll almost certainly be into this if you like Leatherface and you’ll almost certainly be into this if you yearn for that UK melodic punk sound. Impressive.