Album Review: Mechanical by Pacer

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