It’s testament to how damn good Stiff Richards are that I think they actually work better as an Album Band than a Singles Band, but after four years of radio silence I’m happy to take what I can damn well get. Herein they blast – seriously, blast – through two tracks that see their trademark garage swagger tilted toward a more hardcore-ish ferocity. ‘GFC’ belts along like The Hunches on a Circle Jerks jag, while the sneering tunefulness of ‘Empty Barrels’ clocks in at just over a minute and suggests Minor Threat playing the twelve-bar blues. As three-and-a-half-minute experiences go it’s far more satisfying than most, but it also feels like a tease considering this is the kind of punk band who write records that should last forever.
