Labels: self released
Review by: David Giles
I’ve taken a while to get round to writing this review because I feel fairly conflicted about it. More Than A Joke play fast. They have done everything completely DIY, taken a great deal of time making the packaging look awesome (it does!) and not fell into any “promo sheet’ traps “” instead they wrote the type of “please review our record!” note that I always harp on about wanting more bands to send in. Considering all this, and amidst a haul of poor-to-average major-label-condoned records to review, I find myself not wanting to knock them. I love that people are getting together and playing fast. I love the DIY ethic.
Unfortunately, I don’t dig this style of music. I really like when the drums are blasting but I don’t feel like anything else is keeping up with them particularly well. I hate “comedy’ film quotes at the start of tracks. The vocals rub me up the wrong way a couple of times. The guitars sound sort of thin. There are a couple of pretty alright moments on the CD but all-in I feel that it is a little lacking. I’d like to see them get a little riff-ier and have the guitar a bit chunkier “” it could be really good. Maybe one to watch”¦
I feel like at the end of a negative review about a band who have struck me as legit people who are true to the DIY ethic, it is worthwhile to comment on how many bands/labels/zines/people who put on shows seem to fall into the “if they’re cool people doing good things we should back them” trap. It would be nice to see a bit more discrimination about this, I think. There is no shortage of rad bands kicking about just now and the “they are good people doing good things” argument has nothing to do with music. No-one will think you are an “elitist’ for choosing to put your time and money into music you enjoy rather than playing the popularity game.
More Than A Joke have a split with Corpses on the way.