Future Classics: Not Like This by Iron Chic

When I first thought about some albums that I think in twenty years time will be a seen as a classic, my first thought was Not Like This by Iron Chic. Before I go into why I think Not Like This is good enough to be considered a future classic, it would probably make sense to talk about what criteria is needed to been seen as such.

First up is 'Does it grab me on the first listen?'. If after the first spin are my thoughts "oh my Gandalf, that is the best thing I've ever heard!" Also 'Is there some longevity?', is it something I return to again and again. We all have albums that we put on if we're not sure what we actually want to listen to but know that we want to listen to something. 'Does the album move you in any way?', 'Do you take inspiration from the lyrics?', 'Do you relate to them somehow?' If so, it's likely you're gonna come back to an album time and time again. 'Do you think that the album is the band's best work?' 'How does it compare to the band's previous releases?' 'Does the album get the same reaction live as it does on record?' If an album matches all of those things then it's definitely a classic for me.

Not Like This without a doubt falls into my criteria for a future classic. After being released in 2010 on Dead Broke Rekerds, Not Like This made Iron Chic a huge deal in the punk rock scene and also made them pretty much everyone's favourite band. On my first listen I was in love. There's a great simplicity to everything on this album that makes it instantly accessible. I adore lead vocalist Jason Lubrano's style of speak-singing, this makes it so easy for the album to become an ear worm because it's so easy to pick up every word that leaves his mouth.

I didn't get to see Iron Chic live until after the band's second full length, The Constant One, was released. That is also a fantastic album but whenever any song from Not Like This is played live it always gets the massive reactions. It doesn't even matter which of the ten songs on the album are played or what order they are played in, they are all crowd pleasers. I've seen a crowd in small basements and/or bigger festival stages just go crazy for these songs in ways that not many bands will ever be able to replicate.

Not Like This covers a few themes such as growing up, finding a release, making the best of things, being stuck in a job that you don't like and finding somewhere that you belong. These aren't exactly new topics in the punk scene but with the simple Iron Chic style I find myself relating to them even more so than normal. This is down to the everyman style that is the band's sound. As you sing along with these songs - live, in your car, your kitchen, your bathroom, your living room, your garden, under your stairs or anywhere else you might sing songs - you feel a part of Iron Chic. This is a really special feeling and why I think Not Like This is a future classic.