Dan#2's Top Ten Albums of 2020

This year has been a bit of a slug fest for myself with lockdown taking a huge impact on concentration levels and motivation, which might explain my lack for creative output in terms of these reviews for CPRW but I couldn't leave 2020 without giving credit to a few of my favourite releases from this year. These records, at times, have provided inspiration to get up off my ass or the emotional support that I needed to keep myself together… So on that positive introduction let’s get into it!

10. Attention Economy by Launch Control

This was the best political punk rock release this year for me hands down. Launch Control continue to paint a perfect picture of our political discourse. The whole EP strikes a haunting tone, talking about the consumerist society which we have become who are quick to pick up narratives or a product without questioning why we’re being sold, who suffers as a result and the long term conditions it creates. It is suggested these things are not done by accident but by corporations and frankly evil political figures for their benefits. In each of the songs we go into detail into some of those created conditions or into ways we have been monetized. These themes crafted carefully with hand stitched detail is exactly why I love Lee's lyrics. The production also creates a fresh feeling punk rock record that almost feels like an electric dream which fits the haunting atmosphere. Each song is a tightly packed package with riffs and drum fills galore that never overstay their welcome. The most interesting song for me is "Marketing For Martyrs" which is the first longer song from the band and really demands attention with some of the best lyrics from this year. The only reason this EP is not higher on the list is I might be super bias towards them as they are my friends but more importantly their refusal to release a full length always feels to me like they hold back showing their full potential.

9. This Land Is Your Landfill by The Homeless Gospel Choir

In February I managed to see Derek Homeless Gospel Choir playing a tiny club in London after seeing him with Anti-Flag the previous night. I was blown away by the pure honesty in his set, it made everything special and on this night he played a few of the best songs I had ever heard. Those songs then ended up on this record. It's political, personal and the most honest thing you will hear this year. "Don't Compare" is the best reminder to be yourself and to stop measuring yourself against social media and "Young And In Love" might be the song that every young person needs to hear. I can't wait to support them coming over to the UK as a full band because this record really felt like a ray of happiness this year.

8. Dream Nails by Dream Nails

For the past 2 years every time dipped my toe into listening to a Dream Nails song, I thought ‘I need to really get my teeth into this band’ but never progressed further than a quick listen! But this year I'm glad to report I took the plunge and bought their self-titled record! I'm super stoked and shocked about how blown away I was by it! As a band they have defined an unique sound which is hard hitting without being overpowering with an abundance of amazing hooks, fun subject matters and hard hitting truth that you won't be able to stop listening to. "Text Me Back" and "Corporate Realness" being my personal favorites, I honestly can't wait to see these guys live and I will be looking to book them for show in Reading the first chance I get!

7. Dancing With The Curse by Get Dead

When "Pepperspray" dropped with its video I thought it was the perfect song released at the perfect time with everything happening in America but it also kept us in the dark to what this Get Dead record was going to sound like! So when it turned out to be a punk rock record with lighting fast rap vocals in a few songs I was sold. This might be some of the most interesting songwriting of this year, that you can really get your teeth into and keeps you guessing with lighter acoustic songs like "Glitch", slow swanky punk songs like "Disruption" or full rapid pace punk in "Fire Sale". With all of them sounding tight, this gives the band a really wide but solid sound that sets them apart from the other Fat Wreck bands.

6. The Ride by Bad Cop/Bad Cop

The three-part harmony machine that is Bad Cop/Bad Cop hit the ground running with their third LP The Ride which strikes a perfect balance between the sounds of the last two albums by being a punk rock as all hell while still retaining their unique style. It contains the best harmonies across the board this year, with some themes not normally covered in the genre. For example, songs like "Breast Less" talk about Stacy fighting breast cancer and maybe losing part of her identity after having to have part of her chest removed. While songs like "Pursuit Of Liberty" discuss the disgusting way refugees are treated now vs how they were treated in the past. Getting to see some of these songs live was the icing on the cake in February and just made me more hyped for when we finally got them. This record solidifies BC/BC as one of the biggest bands for me in punk rock.

5. Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

Do I really need to talk about why this is going to be on almost every pop punk fan’s top 10? This perfect follow up from Spanish Love Songs is a hard hitting real deep dive into mental and social issues that leave you feeling full despair with a little bit of hope. The stand out song for me being "Optimism (As a Radical Life Choice)" which talks about catastrophizing over everything going wrong in the world and it preventing you from functioning as a normal human being – just describing that gives me shivers. Super stoked that they lived up to the hype when I saw them live. This record is every bit as perfect as everyone is making out it out to be!

4. Death In Venice Beach by The Bombpops

This one kicks so much ass. It has been the soundtrack every time I put my foot down in my little Clio but it might as well be a super car with The Bombpops blasting through the speakers. Every track is a simple hard hitting punk rock song that is catchy, upbeat and rad as they come! My personal favorites have been "Blood Pact" and "13 Stories Down", the latter being one of the best songs this year – about addiction with a pop hook. I think this record deserves a lot more attention than it got and I can't wait to hear these songs live.

3. Placement by Watsky 

Another year, another Watsky record breaking up my all punk list by being the only rap album on it! When he announced that Complaint was one of three connected records I got immediately excited by the idea of this project. Placement delivers a fantastic follow up to its predecessor, adding further context to it and adding speculation to what's coming next to fill in the gaps. I think "Dreams And Boxes" might be the best core of a record that I have heard with its seamless sticking two songs together with a spoken work piece in the middle resulting in 8 minutes of pure perfection. The emotional cuts dealt by the lyrics have only grown on me as the year progressed, songs like "Savage" and "Black Hole Eyes" really connect with me now on a personal level that I can see bleeding into all my playlist from years to come. Those strong feeling are only toppled by the next two bands on this list.

2. Triceratops / Stegosaurus by Me Rex

When I grow up I want to be Me Rex. Their songs are perfect dissections of emotional issues and events that manage to touch my soul. Normally emotional slow indie pop punk isn't my thing but every single thing they write is nothing less than perfect, bringing me to tears of joy. I have bundled both of these EPs together as they are both equally deserving of attention, one being their first release as a full band with none of their energy or emotion being lost in the bigger sound. They are going to be one of the UK's best bands in the near future and I'm sad I didn't get to see them at MPF this year but I'm going to see them at the first opportunity, even if I have to drive a few hours for it. They are worth it, go and listen to them.

1. Show Me The Blueprints. by Days N Daze

I had only ever heard good things about Days N Daze but it took their record to be released on Fat Wreck for me to pick it up and, honest to god, it is perfect! Infectiously catchy, lighting fast, amazing lyrics, the whole thing fits around its theme and sounds like a complete package. Its song form depiction and framing of addiction, anxiety and depression is some of the best music I have heard. "Show Me The Blueprints." is so well written with its tempo changes and heavy sections. Most importantly this record feels real and authentic, I couldn't help but connect with it. So peace out, farewell to Days N Daze, thanks for the record, I'll catch ya down the line!

This top ten was written by Dan #2.

Album Review: Dream Nails by Dream Nails (by Emma Prew)

Dream Nails are an all-female four-piece from London. The band was founded in 2015 by like-minded feminist activists and they’ve been successfully spreading their unapologetically political pop punk throughout the UK and Europe ever since. Their debut self-titled album was released at the end of August and, although it may seem a long time coming to fans that have been with them from the start, it has most certainly been worth the wait.

With 15 songs on its track list but a run time of around 24 minutes, I was expecting this album to be packed full of super fast, super catchy pop punk songs. Well, it is full of some pretty fast and catchy tunes, but some of those 15 tracks are actually well placed short interludes – or skits as Dream Nails have called them. The album opens with the first of these, Affirmations, and the statement ‘I am ready. I fear no one and nothing except the temptation to hold back.’ before the bouncy bass line of the second track plunges us into the album properly. Jillian is a care-free and feel-good song that brings to mind a much sunnier and warmer day than the one I’m currently experiencing at the time of writing this review. I had to ask my trusty friend Google but the Jillian in the song seems to be Jillian Michaels, American personal trainer. The song is a lively and not too serious way to kick off the album. Another short skit follows asking the question Do You Want To Go To Work? (‘no’) and Are you going to go to work? (’yes’) before leading us into an anger fuelled anthem of a song for all those that work in a corporate job that they hate. In Corporate Realness Dream Nails proclaim ‘You are not your job, Work is not your life, You are not what you must do in order to survive.’ which I can imagine will be a real comfort to many listeners. It’s also nice to hear a band acknowledge that sometimes you have to work a job you hate in order to get by, instead of just suggesting that you should quit because not everyone is able to do that.

Next up is Text Me Back (Chirpse Degree Burns) which opens with a super melodic almost indie punk style guitar riff and rhythmic drums. The instruments take a backseat as lead vocalist Janey Starling begins to sing a tale of meeting a new person you like and what ensues when they then don’t text back shortly after that. It sounds kind of silly – and I guess it is to some extent – but I’m sure, like me, you can relate to what Dream Nails are singing about when you’ve sent a message and can see they’ve read it but haven’t replied. Maybe we’d be better off without phones or at least without read receipts! The classic Dream Nails track Vagina Police is next but not before an interlude, Women And Non-Binary People To The Front, that declares solidarity with trans folk and that not all women have vaginas. Vagina Police 2.0 is a re-recorded version of the song the band originally released back in 2018 but still has the raw passion and energy of the original. The fast paced and ferocious track is a protest in favour of abortion and women’s rights to do as they chose with their own bodies. It was an important and worthy message in 2018 and it certainly still is now as well. DIY is the name of the eighth track on the album and it’s another Dream Nails song that has been around for a while but it appears on the album nonetheless because it’s such a great song. It’s the song I remember most when I think about the last time I saw Dream Nails live, which sadly was way back in 2018 (with Iron Chic and Mobina Galore at The Dome), as it’s an awesome live track. As you might have guessed from its title, DIY is about doing it yourself – whether that means fixing your bike, starting a punk band or making peanut butter. It’s a bouncy, joyful, uplifting and empowering listen that is a hell of a lot of fun to sing along to. The pace is slowed down somewhat for People Are Like Cities as Dream Nails take a slightly different turn musically. The song is about how you can never truly know everything about a person, just like how you can never truly see every part of a city. Lines such as ‘And there are dark streets in you, where I don’t wanna go.’ make you pause for thought and fully take in and agree with what Dream Nails are singing about.

The summery vibes are back for the next two tracks. First is Swimming Pool, a cheerful sugary pop punk song about – you guessed it – going to the swimming pool with your friends and crush. There’s a sense of washing away all your worries and just having a nice time throughout the song, with ‘It’s gonna be okay’ repeated throughout the bridge. The track also features some wonderful harmonies and vocal exchanges which further boosts the having a nice time with your friends vibes. The second of the two summer-themed tracks is the aptly titled This Is The Summer. It’s not as fast-paced as some of the previous songs on the album but certainly brings a feeling of sunshine to our ears (which, once again, is very welcome on a dull and rainy October day), as Dream Nails sing of heatwaves, being struck in traffic on the way to the beach and the smell of suncream. It feels, to me at least, to be about that specifically British summer time that we spend the rest of the year dreaming of only to complain that it’s too hot when it finally arrives. Before we get to track number thirteen we have another interlude, this time offering up some helpful Fighting Tips. Get ready to crank the volume up for Payback as, after a drumroll and a scream, Dream Nails deliver a huge rocking ’n’ rolling guitar riff to rival your dad’s (or, in my case, mum’s) favourite 80s hair metal band. Alongside shouts of ‘One day, we’ll make, you pay!’ and slower more stripped back verses, Dream Nails deliver a real standout track here. If you didn’t already want to sing along with the band prior to this track then I’m sure the bridge of ‘Hey! (Hey!), Mister! (Mister!), Get your hands off my sister!’ will get you shouting along. The last skit of the album, In Other News, is a clip from a news report about a homophobic attack on two women who were on a London bus which leads us into the last song on the album. Kiss My Fist starts slowly and quietly but it’s immediately clear that Dream Nails don’t intend to stay quiet as they have a lot of justified anger built up and ready to unleash on the world. Kiss My Fist is about men who are quite happy see lesbians when it suits them and is for their own entertainment, such as onscreen, but are disgusted to see a couple holding hands in the street. The song is the perfect combination of rage and frustration and does a fine job of ending the album with a bang.

Dream Nails is out now on Alcopop Records and is well worth adding to your regular rotation this autumn to bring a little sunshine back into your life.

Stream and download Dream Nails on Bandcamp here.

Like Dream Nails on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.