Labels: Lost Toys
Review by: C. Kuzmiski
We live in a boom and bust society. Right now we’re blatantly bust. Which means food lines, an alienated left, protesting, and of course: bands called Council Tax Band, with titles like “The Bigger the Budget’ and “We’re All in This Together’.
They steer clear of the more tiresome pitfalls of all this, both by not taking themselves too seriously and being quirky in an endearing way. CTB aren’t going to change anything; so why get annoyed at society, when you can just ridicule it instead?
‘The Bigger the Budget’ is lagery pub-punk with enough madcap twists to keep Ginger Wildheart interested. ‘We’re All in This Together’ is squatter Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Repeated listens reveals more depth than the usual drunkpunk fodder. There are considered minds at play here, fun shouldn’t equal stupid.
These tracks are one side of a split with contrived arty-dynamics band Ice, Sea, Dead People. Jury is out on who’ll win. (It’s Council Tax Band.)
Also, full marks to the cover artist. A Jack Russell in holy matrimony with Dolly Parton – that is exactly what you want.