Has 2021 been a vintage year for punk rock? Genuinely, I can’t remember a year where there was so much anticipation over new releases; especially concerning debut albums or sophomore releases. Inevitably, some great albums have missed out on my top ten. Established acts such as The Ship Thieves (Irruption) and Rise Against (Nowhere Generation) have produced their finest work for many a year; whilst a couple of great hardcore albums from Fever Strike (Spin) and Dare (Against All Odds) have also missed out but should be investigated as they are phenomenal; as is the Hot Water Music meets Dogleg post hardcore of Stars Hollows (I Want to Live My Life) which narrowly missed my top ten. In light of that, I have to conclude that 2021 has been a brilliant year for new music and hopefully we can go into 2022 with a renewed sense of hope that we’ll soon be able to enjoy these bands and albums in live settings.
On to my top ten albums and top five EPs / singles of the year. Personally I think they are all excellent for a variety of reasons and I’d be really keen to hear what you think of my picks so please hit me up in the comments!
Albums
10. Axiom by Harker (Disconnect Disconnect Records, Fixing A Hole Records, Shield Recordings, Wiretap Records)
If debut album No Discordance was a gruff punk banger, its follow up Axiom draws further on the emo / post-hardcore influences that simmered under the surface in its predecessor, melding the sound into something that whilst familiar is also extremely unique and forward thinking. The dynamism and range of the album is astounding, covering straight up hard rock such as ‘The Beast Must Die’, to nice throwbacks to their punk rock roots on ‘Helion’, with ‘Flex Yr Head’ sounding like classic Get Up Kids style emo.
The culmination of this creativity and the album’s crowning glory is its concluding track ‘Antenna’, a six minute epic marathon of post hardcore noise. It’s a gargantuan song that epitomises the shift in Harker’s approach from that of blue collar punks to genuine innovators and ones to watch. Where they go next will be genuinely be exciting!
9. Ultrapop by The Armed ( Sargent House)
With Ultrapop, art-hardcore collective The Armed have created a huge sprawling, bombastic epic of an album that constantly surprises. Take the sheer bonkers-ness of songs such as ‘Masunaga Vapours’, that could prove inaccessible on initial listens yet quickly become addictive earworm on repeated spins; or the big hitters of ‘Bad Selection’ and ‘All Futures’ which are just incredible from the outset. Ultrapop is simply the most apt name for the album given its penchant for OTT melody coupled with Converge-esque metal flourishes. The Armed are one of the most important and creative groups operating in hardcore, demonstrating its artistic merit and value; whilst finding new boundaries to push. It’s a genuine 10/10 album and deserves to be heard by a wider audience than the traditional hardcore devotees and Kurt Ballou aficionados; even if it’s just the once to appreciate its truly bizarre amalgamation of colliding styles and inspirations.
8. Our Hell Is Right Here by Drones (Lockjaw Records)
Whilst hardcore has had a renaissance this year, the same can’t be said for skate punk which seems to have hit a bit of a lull at the moment (CPRW resident skate-punk expert Brett may take exception to this statement); thankfully Brighton’s Drones haven’t got that memo and unleashed an exceptional follow up to their 2018 debut. Our Hell Is Right Here is a pumped up, exhilarating rollercoaster of an album that’s rammed with excellent musicianship, smart lyrics and a vocal performance by Lois that is truly fantastic, adding greater depth and range to a sound that can appear at times very single paced.
In particular, attention should be paid to the stellar ‘Josephine’ (a song about alcohol dependency) that hits all the feels; whilst title track ‘Our Hell Is Right Here’ is just a straight up banger, showing they can mix it up. Drones have clearly delivered on their early promise and they are now one of the most essential British bands on the circuit.
7. Life In Your Glass World by Citizen (Run For Cover Records)
On their fourth album, Citizen have really found their stride and voice. Life In Your Glass World feels at times reminiscent of the UK’s Indie Punk movement of the 00s (think Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party at their most punk – Bloc Party’s ‘Helicopter’ in particular feels like a great touch point for many of the songs on the album). As a result, Citizen have created an album that whilst retaining their roots feels fresh and vibrant.
‘Death Dance Approximately’ is a great opener, one that’s funky, rhythmic and massively danceable; whilst the obvious single ‘I Want To Kill You’ is a monster of a song that characterises Will Yip’s classic style of production (in fact the whole album sounds incredible). Finally, closing trio of ‘Glass World’, ‘Winter Buds’ and ‘Edge Of The World’ is a triumph, demonstrating how to close an album effectively. To date, Citizen haven’t quite reached the heights of their peers or that which their potential would suggest; preferring to tread their own path, however Life In Your Glass World is hopefully the album that will help break them out of their cult status and into a much wider audience.
6. This Place You Know by One Step Closer (For Cover Records)
Sitting in that perfect sweet spot between traditional youthcore, melodic hardcore and emo, the Wilkes-Barre rising stars have stepped up with a rip-roaring introspective, angst ridden debut that will catapult them to the pinnacle of the hardcore scene. Blending a sound that is very reminiscent of both Bane and As Friends Rust (particularly early era AFR such as ‘Encante’ or ‘Ruffian’), it’s massively accessible and melodic whilst at the same time capable of delivering bone crunching riffs and explosive screaming vocals.
Lead single ‘Pringle Street’ is a notable high point, however where the album really stands out is in its sequencing and it has a real ebb and flow to proceedings. It’s also worth discussing the risks that the band take on ‘This Place You Know’; whilst many young bands may be content to hammer out songs of a similar style, save alienating their audience, One Step Closer have taken a mature approach to things to showcase their range and versatility. Both ‘Chrysanthemum’ and ‘Hereafter’ demonstrate they are a cut above many of their peers. Closing track ‘As The City Sleeps’ echos Bane’s ‘Swan Song’ perfectly and is every inch the hardcore epic it set out to be. This Place You Know is quite simply one of the most essential albums of the year.
5. Fuck Art by The Dirty Nil The Dirty Nil (Dine Alone Records)
Continuing their development from scuzzy basement punks to genuine stadium loving rockers, The Dirty Nil’s third album is an absolute triumph of singalong anthems, upbeat melody and sharp, self-deprecating lyrics that are firmly delivered with a tongue wedged in frontman Luke Bentham’s cheek.
Anyone lucky enough to see the Nil rocking out on stage will know they owe as much to Bowie and Hendrix as they do NOFX and Blink-182 due to their musical talent; however at no point does the album deteriorate into guitar noodling nonsense (although I have no doubt Luke could nail a Satriani style guitar led prog rock masterpiece). Instead, each song is a mini-story (‘Done With Drugs’ about exciting the party scene or ‘Doom Boy’ about dating a metal loving fella). They often come across like a juvenile delinquent Weezer and, let’s face it, that’s something the world needs more of at the moment!
4. How Flowers Grow by Scowl (Flatspot Records)
Clocking in at an impressive 10 songs in 16 minutes, How Flowers Grow is a frantic, angry and essential assault on the senses. Led by the sneering and righteously pissed off Kat Moss, Scowl produce some of scuzziest, nastiest hardcore around. It’s the kind of album you’d imagine festering in a gutter of its own filth… and it’s all the better for it. Equal parts Black Flag meets No Reply meets Striking Distance, it’s a brilliantly aggressive album rammed with social commentary from a feminist slant. With content concerning abuse, struggling to be heard and standing your ground, it’s an album that takes the traditional tropes of hardcore into a personal and reflective space; and lyrically it is probably one of the strongest releases of the year.
Production wise, despite the gritty aesthetic, it sounds incredible and the vocals really shine. ‘Bloodhound’ promises to be an absolute beast of a song in a live setting (the introduction alone is enough to build anticipation of the chaos that is likely to ensue); whilst the most surprising song on the album ‘Seeds To Sow’ is more Link 80 than the Dead Kennedys and it comes out of nowhere with Kat’s singing voice really shining. This is just enough to tease how vital Scowl could become to the scene in terms of their writing and creativity! All in all an incredible album from a band that might just be your new favourites… catch them in the UK in the new year with hardcore giants Comeback Kid and Brian McTernan’s Be Well, in what promises to be one of the tours of the year.
3. Glow On by Turnstile (Roadrunner Records)
If Time And Space showed hardcore could bridge crossover to the punk and rock audiences, Glow On is Turnstile reaching for the mainstream with a truly incredible pop album. Sure it’s still got the crunching riffs and grooves but it’s brilliantly packaged with a sheen of pop gloss, catchy melodies and more hooks than the crew of a pirate ship. ‘Holiday’, ‘Mystery’ and ‘Blackout’ are the clear standout tracks but the creativeness of ‘Underwater Boi’ and ‘Alien Love Call’ shows the potential the scene has when it looks outside of its rigid confines.
Given the success of predecessor Time And Space, and the fact that was a slow burn of an album, it’s clear expectation for Turnstile’s follow up to be special was through the roof and clearly they have stepped up to the plate and hit a massive home run. It’s inevitable that this album will be one of the must see tours over coming months and likely still be on active rotation into the festival season where you can expect it will really shine!
2. I Won’t Care How You Remember Me by Tigers Jaw (Hopeless Records)
Since taking forward the Tigers Jaw name, Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins have taken huge strides; the kind of emo-pop masterpiece that previous album Spin hinted at has been fully realised with IWCHYRM. An album driven by heartbreak and relationship collapse, set to fantastic melody and told through a collection of immense ear worms. Each song has the potential to be a favourite at one time or another; however ‘Commit’ with its 80s Madonna vibe really stands out, showcasing Brianna’s vocal range and allowing Ben’s guitar playing to take centre stage.
Other stand outs include the opening ‘I Won’t Care How You Remember Me’ which really ties all the threads and connections together on the album and closer ‘Anniversary’ which provides a satisfying conclusion and leaves the listener wanting more. As with all Will Yip albums, it sounds amazing and I’d go out on a limb and say it’s the best work he’s done to date. IWCHYRM is a huge album and one that should launch Tigers Jaw to a much larger audience when they can finally get it in front of people, where you can really see these songs resonating.
1. Between The Richness by Fiddlehead (Run For Cover Records)
As you’ve probably guessed, I’m a huge fan of the latest creative renaissance hardcore is undergoing… Drug Church, Turnstile, La Dispute, Touché Amore and Citizen have really helped push the envelope whilst staying true to the principles of hardcore and maintaining their integrity. This increased creativity coupled with the experience of notable leading lights of the scene (in this case Have Heart’s Pat Flynn) has created an environment where strong narrative driven, introspective albums can truly flourish. Between The Richness is a monumental, cathartic release of emotion; even more so than its predecessor and songs like ‘Heart To Heart’, ‘Million Times’, ‘Down University’ and ‘The Years’ will enthral and captivate as much as they will excite.
One thing that is abundantly clear with Between The Richness is that, like Springtime and Blind, it’s a mature album that only gives up its secrets on repeated listens. It’s not inaccessible by any means but the depth and detail in each song come to the fore with repeated listens. Much like The Armed’s Ultrapop, it’s the addictiveness of the album that really takes hold and gets under your skin with its personal and reflective lyrics coupled with the desire the album creates in wanting to belt out these same lyrics in a room full of strangers. It’s clearly going to be one of those albums people fall heavily in love with – personally I already have!
EPs / Singles
5. II by Loud Love
Belgium emo-core / hardcore crossover troupe’s second release is as essential as their first. Brimming with pop and fizz, Loud Love have again produced an collection of classic sounding Silverstein / Grade style emotionally driven hardcore songs. ‘VoxPopuli’, ‘Quichote’ and ‘Last Party’ really stick in the head and, whilst their self-titled debut showcased a full on assault, this follow up is much more layered and confident. Absolutely ones to watch!
4. Tawney by Drug Church
Continuing their evolution into a hardcore Pixies, Drug Church’s 4 track stop gap ahead of next year’s Hygeine is a brilliant representation of their development. Far more nuanced than previous releases, both ‘Bliss Out’ and ‘Tawny’ are exceptional songs. Throw in a brilliant cover of Arcwelders ‘Remember To Forget’ and you can see why they are now one of the most vital bands in rock music!
3. In The Ground by Timeshares
Few bands unite us here at CPRW quite like those lovelies in Timeshares. Their final EP in a series of releases is arguably their best (and considering how great both Out There and On Life Support are, this is some achievement). In The Ground has a really mature heartland rock feel to it. Equally melancholic and anthemic, it’s Timeshares doing what they do best – hitting all the feels!
2. Bear Away / Custody split
Split releases are the best! Whether it’s established acts taking new acts under their wing (such as Hot Water Music showing their chops alongside the established Leatherface) or mutual appreciation between peers (Signals Midwest / Worship This!) so many of my favourite releases are splits. At just one track each you can’t help but feel short changed with this one; however the caveat is that both songs are INCREDIBLE.
Finland’s Custody offer up Running In Circles; it’s an anthemic gruff punk banger with the type of epic guitar driven conclusion you can only dream of; whilst Scarborough’s Bear Away deliver another exceptional slab of heartfelt singalong punk rock that they’ve built a following on. This is everything great about split singles, distilled into two genuinely proper A-side releases; and anyway what’s wrong with leaving people wanting more!
1. Perfect by Mannequin Pussy
If the jump from Romantic to Patience was big; this is a leap of Evil Knievel proportions by the Philadelphia troupe. Opening track ‘Control’ is a gorgeous ballad; as is ‘To Lose You’ which may just be the best song they have written to date – Marisa’s vocals really shine and carry the song which is just a spine-tingling triumph.
Showing they haven’t lost any of their vitriol, ‘Perfect’ is a ranging, angry banger; yet contains far more light and shade than they would have previously displayed through such songs. It’s also great to see Bear taking centre stage on ‘Pigs Is Pigs’ and again this adds further layers to their arsenal. They’ve retained their level of social commentary whilst expanding their sound into something incredibly marketable… Their next full length may just be a boundary pushing, career defining masterpiece.
Final Words
Looking forward then to 2022. A new Drug Church album is already on the horizon, with its lead singles showing even more development in their sound, whilst my heroes Hot Water Music will be dropping their 9th studio album. However on the back of their work over 2021, the must-have release of 2022 is looking like German emo-punks Shoreline’s Growth – every song they have teased us with this year has been incredible and I’d urge everyone to get on board with them now as it has the potential to be a game changer of an album!
Finally, this year I’d like to throw some thanks and shout outs to labels and distros. End Hits Records have again outdone themselves. The quality of the products they produce are outstanding, and they are always creative and sympathetic; especially with the represses and their work with the Shelter albums (When 20 Summers Pass and The Purpose the Passion) in particular stands out. Also huge thanks to Nuclear Family and Land Of Treason for keeping me supplied with good old fashioned hardcore albums; you guys rock! Finally to the team (and wider family) at CPRW towers – it’s been a pleasure talking all things punk rock with you all this year and can’t wait to hear about your new favourites throughout 2022!
It’s been another strange year in the “new normal” – I’ve almost resigned myself to accepting that this is just how shit’s going to go down from now on. Life isn’t going to get any better, only worse. More types of Covid, but no more travel, no more new experiences (except for new Covid). Always showing my vaccination status before necking a pint. Feeling frustrated with people who argue about having to get vaccinated or show said status to neck a pint.
On a personal level, it’s been a year of ups and downs – this is the year that I kept it punk, got a mortgage and bought a house in my favourite area of Swansea (contrary to popular belief, there are some nice areas here), but it’s also the year that I lost the one person who really understood me and always had my back – my dad passed away. His cat came home to live with me and she’s amazing, but I don’t eat meat, and cat food smells really bad. So yeah, swings and roundabouts.
So, with so much going on, it’s been good to sit down and reflect back on the year when compiling this list. Life is full of ups and downs, but music is a constant I think we can all appreciate, and always helps make things a little easier.
Here are my top ten albums from this year.
10. As The Love Continues by Mogwai (Rock Action Records)
Despite having 9 other studio albums, this is the first of Mogwai’s I’ve ever owned – or listened to. I was way too cool (obviously), and listening to Blink-182 and Less Than Jake in the late 90s/early 00s, to even entertain the idea of listening to Mogwai. Come on, it’s boring stoner music, right? At least that’s what I thought (to be fair, all of the people I knew who listened to them did smoke a lot of pot). I wasn’t about to wear a blim-hole riddled Soulfly shirt and sit under a ramp in the skate park looking in amazement at the size of my hands – I was too busy wearing a knock-off Green Day Dookie hoodie and falling off skateboards when trying to ollie.
Like the rest of their discography, this beautiful album is atmospheric and moving – the musical arrangement of this album is stunning. There aren’t any lyrics until you get to track 4, Ritchie Sacramento, but when they do make an appearance they aren’t intrusive, and don’t take over the track or the flow of the album. They add to the music rather than pushing their way to the front, like tall people at gigs always seem to do. This album doesn’t need any more lyrics, the music speaks enough and provides plenty of emotional charge. This album is a fantastic example of how music tastes change over time, and why we shouldn’t shut out a band just because they weren’t to our tastes when we were younger.
9. Waste My Heart by The Raging Nathans (Brassneck Records, Dead Broke Rekerds, Rad Girlfriend Records)
Raging Nathans haven’t let the quality slip, even after releasing their third full length just last year. Catchy melodies, strong vocals, creative lyrics, solid drumming – the album grips you from the get go with opening track Waste My Heart, reminiscent of the 90s skate-punk sound we all hold so dear. While I Could Never Fall In Love With You leans more on the ‘pop’ side, it still has that incessant skate-punk style of drumming with just enough palm-muting to pass as a 50s-style pop punk song. New Direction is a straight-up punk rock song with a top-tier chorus and first-rate harmonies. Another solid instalment from the mid-west four.
8. Empty Plinths by Grand Collapse (TNSRecords)
Empty Plinths is as unapologetic as it is angry, aggressive, and honest, with a fitting tribute to Icons Of Filth as a hidden bonus at the end of the record. Most of this album was written during 2020, with many of the social tensions experienced during that year being projected through the writing. It leaves you with hardly any time to catch a breath between songs – this itself reflecting many of the themes explored in the album, such as race and class divide, as well as animal and human rights. There is a hint of the melodic guitar from previous albums, though with a more thrashy, metal sound to it, which can clearly be heard on Without Let or Hindrance and Empty Plinths. An unforgiving, merciless album from the lovely lads at Grand Collapse.
7. Radical by Every Time I Die (Epitaph Records)
This is the first time I’ve really listened to ETID. They’re one of those bands that I always heard about, but never got round to listening to. It was actually my boss who kept on at me to listen to them, and when Radical was released, he borrowed me his copy on vinyl. I had an idea of what it would be like… But I wasn’t expecting to like the album as much as I did.
It’s urgent, brutal, and ferocious from the get go. While it absolutely is heavy as fuck, there’s also enough melody throughout the album to keep you engaged, with the album weaving hardcore, metalcore, and punk together into the 16-track long Radical pot. Songs like Thing With Feathers and White Void are prime examples of melody-strong, palate-cleansing songs showing just how good this band are at songwriting.
I’ve bought my own copy of the record now.
6. Mid-Century Modern by Talk Show Host (Disconnect Disconnect Records, Wiretap Records)
The first full-length from the Toronto pop-punk trio, released in the UK by the very excellent Disconnect Disconnect. The range of the pop-punk sub-genre is pretty wide – I’d definitely stick this in as pop-punk, but it’s a bit different from the others on the list. Excellent songwriting, catchy as fuck melodies, great choruses, gang vocals, layered arrangements. I bought this record before listening to it, because I really liked the album title and artwork. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but it turns out that you can definitely do that with albums.
5. On The Brink by Mark Murphy And The Meds (Brassneck Records, Bloated Kat Records, Horn & Hoof Records, All In Vinyl, Cat’s Claw Records)
Riffs aplenty from Mark Murphy And The Meds – fast, fun pop punk riffs with the added extra kick of rock ’n’ roll licks. Think Teen Idols or Green Day, with a bit of The Wildhearts thrown in for good measure. This album is wildly catchy, and you’ll find yourself singing along before the opening track Stuck Inside has finished playing (it’s a potential for my Song Of The Year). I’ve had this album on repeat since it was released. Mark Murphy And The Meds – it’s good for what ails ya.
4. Mikey Erg by Mikey Erg (Brassneck Records, Rad Girlfriend Records)
Starting off with Can’t Be Too Careless, the album keeps pumping out that classic 90s garage pop punk sound, with catchy melodies over distorted guitars. From the more straight up punk rock Spin The Black Circle reminiscent of Graham Coxon’s album The Golden D, to the more pop-punk Hey Marissa and Rumblestrip, this album has a bit of everything over the course of the 10 songs.
For Green Day fans, there’s a nice surprise with a great cover of Going To Pasalacqua, and as the album closes we are treated to Give Up. The heavier guitars, distortion, and noise on the closing track reminds me of the last songs on early Weezer albums (long, drawn-out, noisy outros are my favourite type of outros). A solid album from the pop punk veteran.
3. Alone In A Dome by The Copyrights (Fat Wreck Chords)
Another worldie of an album from the Illinois pop-punk four. Straight in there with crisp, catchy guitars and melodies, and soaring choruses you can’t help but get reeled in by. The album hits the ground running with Part Of The Landscape (as if we expected anything less) and pretty much continues straight through to the finish line hitting first-rate markers including Pretender, No Such Thing As Grownups, and Enemies. The album doesn’t slow down, with banger after banger of fast-paced pop-punk rock. Can this band do any wrong?
2. Nice One by Catbite (Bad Time Records)
Ever since I started to really get into music I’ve had a soft spot for ska punk, and this album has been a refreshing take on the sub-genre. With more of a focus on two-tone rather than just upstrokes and trumpets over punk riffs, it stands out against the rest in the ska punk game, certainly at the moment. It can be hard sometimes to get ska punk to be taken seriously – it’s not the genre’s fault, trumpets and upstrokes just sound so silly sometimes – but nothing is overdone on this album. There’s a perfect balance of punk, two-tone, and engaging vocals reminiscent of The Selector, early No Doubt, DHC, and other greats of the genre from back in the day. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve listened less and less to ska as I’ve dived more in to punk, emo, and (gasp) indie. But if more ska bands take note from Catbite, I’ll be heading back down the black and white brick road, and won’t cover up my ska tattoo anymore.
1. Emphatically No. by Cheekface (New Professor Music)
Easily my new favourite band. I was convinced that this was Stephen Malkmus in disguise; the new, improved Pavement for the modern age. A fabulous reflection on modern life, easy going but catchy music jangling behind clever, tongue-in-cheek writing that you can easily relate to (“sometimes I wonder if a single good thing exists on Earth … And then I eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch”). The nonchalant, sarcastic delivery of the lyrics is what caught my attention when I first heard their 2019 album, Therapy Island, and I’m very happy to confirm that Emphatically No. keeps this up. Everyone should listen to this band.
Honourable mentions (EPs)
Our Boring Lives by Dog Eared
Dog Eared know that you don’t need to fix what isn’t broken – they put the ‘power’ in power-pop, playing fast, fun, pop-punk with influences from the greats like Green Day and Blink-182. Hailing from Dundee, I love that you can hear the Scottish accent busting through the bouncy melodies and harmonies. This catchy as fuck EP will have you singing along in no time.
Sick Day by Rest Easy
This 8-minute punch in the face is the debut EP from the Canadian four-piece. It’s fast, furious, and is packed full of melodic hardcore bangers and high-energy vocals. You don’t have time to come up for air from the second this EP begins, but with just four songs, you won’t be ready to resurface when it’s over.
Believe In Forgets by Homeground
The second EP from the French punk rockers, on KROD Records. More of that lovely melodic beard punk, and a mix of lyrics from positivity in Mountains, to reflections on the pandemic in Circles, and (what I think is) a tongue-in-cheek poke at the French habit of protesting everything, with the very catchy tune Constant Protest (“here we come with this French song, to protest like everyone complains about the weather”). I could be well off the mark there, though. Constant Protest was the first song I heard of theirs, it was on a playlist from KROD Records, and I went to listen to the whole EP straight after.
Bone Idl by Bone Idl
Technically this was right at the end of last year, so probably wouldn’t have had much of a chance to make it onto last years’ lists, but it was also released on Brassneck Records in September of this year, so I’m counting it. High energy, melodic punk rock from Wales, with something a bit different. It’s beard punk, but not as you know it. Released on Brassneck so you knows it’s a good one innit butt.
The Lockdowns by The Lockdowns
This fun EP instantly screams Screeching Weasel with the opening track Dirty Mouth, whereas
Duck Tape and Super Glue is reminiscent of early Green Day mixed with Teenage Bottlerocket. Skeletons (probably my favourite track on this EP) gives off massive Alkaline Trio vibes, both musically and lyrically (again, with a touch of Teenage Bottlerocket). The EP finishes with a pop-punk belter Monsters.
I hope everyone has had as good a year as they could have, and that we’re all looking forward to Christmas and hopefully a more positive year in 2022.
A massive thank you to everyone who reads this list, and to everyone who reads and contributes album reviews and articles to the blog. I also want to thank Colin and Emma for not only wanting to involve me in CPRW, but also for being fantastic friends, excellent music libraries, and all-round great people. I can’t stress enough what a wonderful community Colin has built up with CPRW.
If you’re interested in the DIY punk scene, whether that’s UK or further afield, check out the rest of CPRW. There’s podcasts, album and gig reviews, articles, and more. Don’t forget to check out the socials – @colinsprw on Instagram, and I’m @lara_robs (beware, I post cat photos too).
