I’m always staggered by just how many great UK punk bands
there are who consistently put out great records. London based five piece punk
rockers Pacer recently released a brand new album on Everything Sucks Music and
Shield Records titled Mechanical. I checked it out.
The opening track Mariner has a feel of Iron Chic to it. It
starts out with some great jangly guitar work before the rest of the band join
in for a nice introduction and finally the vocals appear. Straight away you
want to throw your fists to the sky and sing loud and proud with Pacer. The
second song Mechanical is an absolute monster of a track. The tempo is upped on
this track as lead singer Marks raspy vocals sing about struggling to
understand things that he can’t fix. The song goes along at a good pace before
finally hitting the big finale that will have you singing along in no time at
all. Stupid Things was one of the standout tracks when I first listened to the
record. Mike Turners bass playing really stands out on this fast paced track.
The song is full of hooks and I especially loved the fast paced verse towards
the end of the song, it added a great sense of excitement to the song. The
fourth song Relative Motions (MWR) is another very strong track. Marks quick
vocal delivery carries the melody of the song during the verses before a hugely
catchy chorus is squeezed into the middle of the song. The track itself is
about always looking forward and not trying to repeat the past. A really great
message.
The buzzsaw guitars at the start of Fortune Teller reminds
me of Chicago pop punks The Copyrights. Straight away this song is full of life
and energy. The message here is clear and simple, you don’t need luck to get
where you want, you just have to work hard and you will get it. The sixth song
Hammers see’s Mark belt out the opening lines and you’re instantly drawn into
the song. I can already imagine that this song is already a live favourite at
gigs with its positive lyrics about getting up after being knocked down.
Something else I really enjoyed about Hammers is the harmonies during the
chorus. Harmonies are always great at giving a feeling of unity during a song,
something punk rock should be all about. Weird Ways is one of the fastest songs
on Mechanical, the final lyrics of the song “Forget The Gold Old Days, I’ll
Find My Own Way” really sum up what the entire album is about. This is followed
by 2/02, where Mark really spews some venom whilst he sings. The song is about
his frustrations with people who moan about being stuck in dead end jobs and
don’t do anything about it. There is an encouragement to try and find something
you love and enjoy every day. Another really excellent message, I love when a
record is this positive.
Understater is a song played at a break neck pace. There is
barely a chance to catch your breath throughout the song. You won’t be able to
keep your body from breaking into a slight dance as it again exudes a massive amount
of energy. For me this is when I know a song is great, when it makes me feel
unable to stay still and really gets my heart pumping. Banners Everywhere slows
the pace back down. The chorus in particular stands out on this song – “And
There’ll Be Better Days Than This One, The Best Advice That I Ever Had Was, Learn
Your Rhythms And Keep On Moving, And This To Shall Pass.” Mechanical concludes
with Awake. This song really struck a chord with me, it’s about finding
something in your life that makes you feel alive. For me it’s going to punk
shows. For sure my ears are ruined, i’m often tired and neglect alot of people
I love constantly going to shows, but it’s the thing in the world that makes me
feel at my very best.
Mechanical is one of the most refreshing albums I’ve
listened to in a long while. It’s great to listen to an album full of positive,
upbeat songs. Pacer are probably one of the most overlooked bands in the
country, with this album they showed some incredible talent both as musicians
and songwriters and the name Pacer
should be on everyone’s lips. If you’re feeling down and a bit blue, then
Mechanical is definitely an album for you.
Stream and buy Mechanical here: https://everythingsucksmusic.bandcamp.com/album/mechanical
Now listening to 311 by 7 Years Bad Luck
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