Album Review: S.F. Sourdough by Billy No Mates (by Chris Bishton)

This record hasn't actually taken 10 years to make, rather it's been "sat on the sidelines" according to Duncan Redmonds, AKA Billy. Essentially Duncan's solo sideline project that started back in 2004 and which has featured a cast of supporting members from so many bands that I have loved, including but not limited to Vanilla Pod, Guns n' Wankers and Sink.

At times, a truly pan-global band of contributors – Duncan recruited people from Europe and Japan to help with live shows – this latest record, S.F. Sourdough, was recorded at the backend of 2010 in the US and features some proper punk rock royals. This time Joey Cape of Lagwagon, Tyson Annicharico of Dead To Me/Western Addiction and Sergie Loobkoff of Samiam contribute to Duncan's Billy No Mates melodic/skate-punk/sea-shanty/Snuff-esque sound.

So, do Duncan's US helpers take the Billy No Mates project in a different direction? Not really. In fact six of the 12 tracks on this album are re-recordings that have been available before. But that's not a bad thing! It's great to have that familiar Billy sound blaring when I inevitably crank up the volume on this. Tuneful, fast, melodic, punk rock with brilliantly observant and often funny lyrical vocals, but without a Snuff-style brass section, giving it that more recognisable Billy No Mates feel.

The album opens with If These Street Could Talk. Even though it's 10 years old, like everything **errr, well… apart from the odd Shake n Vac and Branflakes ad cover** he's done, it doesn't sound dated at all. Duncan's vocal starts immediately, gently supported by a few guitar strums, but you know instantly this won't last as it starts to build and the tempo quickens. You know it's coming, and about 40 seconds or so in it does as more hectic guitars kick in and we're off, telling a story of London, Duncan's home town.

Big Cliché is next. Concentrating on the lyrics, it's kind of scathing. The narrative of a formulaic punk song, complete with chord progression instructions. Dot-to-dot, but not a child's picture, rather a band's song. The line "a great big fuck off choir singing all the clichés about holding your head high, singing proud, walking tall through the storm" makes me smile, before it slows as Duncan muses on whether or not the song is any good anyway.

The next two tracks, Slap Top and Look At You, we've heard before having been on the first album We Are Legion. That's not a problem though, they're cracking tracks and these versions fit well on this record. Both are short, under two minute, fast punk blasts. Look At You is a particular past favourite of mine.

The album races along. Skull And Smiles is next and is faster still. It almost has a skate punk air to it.

Apart from the "bready" samples the title track, Sourdough, is an instrumental. A fast blast of under two minutes.

Angry Song is just that. About as hardcore/metalcore as it gets on this album. The title seems a great onomatopoeia, although it's hard to pick out the gritty lyrics. At just over a minute long, unsurprisingly it's the shortest song on the album.

There's no duds on this record. All the tracks merit their place, but the song that I haven't heard before and that's my favourite on the album is What's That Fluffy. It's harmonic and mid-tempo and it's the song that most reminds me of Snuff, in particular their last album There's A Lot Of It About, only this was written at least 10 years before that record came out.

The album comes to an end with a longer, slower track, Your Name In Lights, that seems to have a distinct Joey Cape sway to it. It's a winsome way to close out.

Listening back over these 12 tracks, it's great that it doesn't sound dated, but when you think about it, it should be obvious that was never likely. Why would Duncan bother to put out a record that does? Why would anyone? It sounds familiar, which it is because we've heard some of the songs before and most importantly because Duncan is a great lyricist and songwriter. But, for me, this just means it's not stale or rehashed. Billy No Mates haven't been reinvented here, but if you loved them before, you'll love them again with this.

Finally, I think what really speaks volumes is that I'd put this up there with some of my favourite records from Duncan. There's stuff from Snuff and Guns N Wankers that will always be special to me, but Billy No Mates definitely forms part of a punk rock trio that sit together as peers.

Billy No Mates… the ultimate irony when it comes to naming your band, as everyone should love Duncan.

Pre-order S.F. Sourdough on vinyl through SBÄM Records here. The album is released digitally on 29th January.

Like Billy No Mates on Facebook here. 

This review was written by Chris Bishton.