Gig Review: Days N Daze at New Cross Inn, London 10/5/22 (by Emma Prew)

‘Folk’ punk is to me what ‘ska’ punk is to Colin – which, if you’ve read this blog before, you’ll know is a big deal. It was my entry into the expansive genre of punk rock as a whole and I still love the folkier side of punk music now. That being said, I’d never seen Houston, Texas, folk punk legends Days N Daze before and so, especially given how much I loved their 2020 album, Show Me The Blueprints, I was very excited when the opportunity arose to see them live – and at our favourite venue, as well!

It was a bit touch and go about whether we were actually going to be able to go to either of the two Days N Daze shows at the New Cross Inn, after the first night sold out before we got around to purchasing tickets and the second night followed suit soon after. Thankfully, due to Colin being more organised than me, we managed to get a couple of tickets for the original date via the Dice waiting list within a week or so of the event. A Tuesday night gig is not usually my favourite but I was excited for this one and, boy, it did not disappoint!

Opening the show and fresh off of the previous couple of Days N Daze gigs were Bristol’s favourite scrappy acoustic ska-folk punk band, Boom Boom Racoon. I’ve always really enjoyed seeing this trio live as their songs are a lot of fun and they always connect with the crowd so well – everyone feels part of the Boom Boom Racoon family. However, I must say that since the pandemic they really seem to have upped their game. We had a the pleasure of seeing them perform at Fishstock earlier this year and thought it was the best we’ve ever seen them. Well, at NXI on a Tuesday they managed to excel again. Classic tunes such as NHS (National Health Simpsons) and their cover of Boom Boom Boom go down a treat as always but it’s their newer songs like Fuck You Ashley that really shine. It was nice to see so many folks down early for the opening band and the Racoons certainly did a great job of getting everyone smiling and bopping away.

Next up was a band that I didn’t know much about but Colin had recently caught at MPF – The Infested. I know they had some guitar-based technical difficulties at the festival so he was looking forward to hearing how they’re supposed to sound. As it turns out, they sound very good! I don’t know why but I definitely thought that The Infested were more of a ska band – a ska band without horns, but still a ska band. There were hints of ska in there but it turned out they actually played more of a straight-up raw and heavier punk rock style. Obviously I don’t dislike ska, but it was a pleasant surprise to have imagined one thing and end up with something a little different. Not being familiar with the band, I can’t tell you what songs they played but it was all great. The Infested are sadly calling it a day soon (their last show was supposed to be a few days after this one but sadly the dreaded covid hit), which is a shame as they put on a great performance and I’d certainly go see them again.

And just like that it was time for the main event. Spirits – both the alcoholic and mood kind – were high and I for one was eagerly waiting for the band to finish sound-checking and commence with the show proper. As soon as Days N Daze burst into their set (with Fuck It!, I think… maybe), you could see just how happy they were to be there and that happiness carried into the crowd with people dancing, singing and, in the case of a select few, crowdsurfing almost immediately. Whitney wasted no time in voicing those feelings, stating how long they’d been waiting to be able to tour again and just how over the moon they were to finally be back in the UK, and London in particular, as well. It never goes unappreciated seeing how stoked a band are to be playing shows, particularly one from over seas – it definitely makes for a friendly and more down-to-earth, community vibe. Some might describe Days N Daze as scrappy or raw-sounding but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a hugely talented bunch of musicians and songwriters. I actually felt a bit ashamed that I hadn’t really brushed up on my lyrical knowledge before the show as everyone around me was singing their hearts out to every single word and I only managed the choruses of most. It did not hamper my enjoyment however – honestly, it was just super lovely to see everyone else connecting with the band so much. Whether it was older tracks such as Post Party Depression, Misanthropic Drunken Loser – complete with fun covers of Creep and Linoleum sandwiched into the middle – or songs from Show Me The Blueprints – Saboteurs being a particular highlight for me, it all went down a storm. The absolute highlight however had to be the final song, Self-Destructive Anthem. Now, if you’ve seen Days N Daze live before – or have watched them on YouTube – then you would have known what was going to happen with this last song but, alas, I did not know. For those unaware, the song has a bridge – ‘Why do I do this? Why?! Why do I do this to myself?’ – that is repeated many times throughout and when played live, various friends of the band and/or audience members make their way to the stage, or just in front of it, to sing that line with the band. DIY punk rock shows always have such a wonderful community feel and I can’t think of a more perfect way to represent this than with how Days N Daze ended their set. 

We left the New Cross Inn with big smiles on our faces and I didn’t even care about the late night / work early in the morning combo – this is one of those special gigs that was without a doubt worth it. Wholesome is probably not what comes to mind when you picture a ‘crust’ punk band but that is the vibe I got from my first DND show – and I loved it.

ps. Paul, please get them back soon.

This review was written by Emma Prew. Photos also by Emma.

Album Review: Now by Rent Strike (by Rich Bailey)

I've always enjoyed a bit of ‘folk punk’; especially Drag the River, Wingnut Dishwashers Union, The Taxpayers and Chuck Ragan’s stuff. I first came across Rent Strike when they released ‘IX’ in 2018 and vaguely followed their comings and goings ever since. ‘Now’ is a slight departure from earlier recordings in that it is more on the ‘folk’ side of things rather than ‘punk’; but that said, it doesn’t detract from some great storytelling and personal lyrics that are very emotive.

Album opener Radio Silence starts initially with typical folk guitar and folk singing, then drums, bass and the rest burst in and give the whole song a fuller, padded out vibe: later we return to the guitar/vocals. This is a great opening track about how peripheral noise (radio, TV etc.) is meaningless. Taking My Time reminds me of early Magazine, especially John Warmb’s vocal delivery – albeit in a Michigan accent. There's great, intricate guitar over pounding rhythm section. A song about revisiting the past to take what’s rightfully yours rather than putting up with what hand you’ve been dealt; “Bathed in radiation, born under a sour sign, all that I’m left with is this meaningless existence, being made to work and wait around to die.”

From The Outside is a highly emotional piece about the unfairness of existence which ends with a hopeful sense of trying to make things better; “… but I’m gonna be strong, and I’m gonna see.” Work! (Future Perfect) is a lament about having to work to live and how one person copes (beer and cigarettes) with this immutable fact – a lot of people’s favourite track on the album. There's some excellent use of slide guitar! The Solid Wall of Stuff has great lyrics about wasting life and not really knowing why; brilliantly delivered with female vocal echoes.

Next Time and Redline (Derive) are long, slow burners with thoughtful, personal lyrics that are emotionally raw and honest with magnificent and sparse guitar work that complements the words beautifully. GBRO is a song about the end of a relationship and who actually called it; “So who’s hand is on the switch anyways?” It's a swing style track with excellent trombone from Michele Fortunato. Time And Decay has an opening verse with an acoustic led impassioned pontification about getting old and being likened to an old, slow computer. The rest of the band then kicks in for a sped up country punk song about how we all turn into our parents (God forbid!).

At The Threshold is a slow, mournful broadside about how we are slowly killing out planet and we haven’t got long to do something about it. The longest track and perhaps my favourite Now (… and Forever!) links back to the opening song about sleeping with the television on and is a magnificent opus about God being dead, everybody hating the police and how to cope with how the world is changing – a quality track! The album's closer is A Spectacular Time, a synth laden, intricate song about the end of a relationship (or the end of an album?) with the closing lines – “I’ll never know if the moment was right, But I had a spectacular time.”

All in all, the album consists of some hopeful undertones to some personal and bleak topics.

Stream and download Now on Bandcamp and like Rent Strike on Facebook.

This review was written by Rich Bailey.

Album Review: The Homeless Gospel Choir / Teenage Halloween Split (by Emma Prew)

If you’re a regular reader of CPRW then you probably know that we love a split release! Often it’s a chance to discover a new artist, alongside one you already know and love. In this case, I am aware of both bands involved in this split but I’d say I’m more familiar with Teenage Halloween than The Homeless Gospel Choir. This gave me the perfect opportunity to check out more of The Homeless Gospel Choir – and the new tracks from Teenage Halloween, of course! The split was released on 1st January on Don Giovanni Records and here’s what I thought of it…

Each band has two songs on the split which, as far as I’m aware, are new tracks for both bands. First up is The Homeless Gospel Choir. THGC are a raucous protest-punk band from Pittsburgh, PA, who have evolved from the solo project of Derek Zanetti to a five-piece band. Track number one, Harrisburg Shoes, wastes no time in getting started with a huge-sounding combination of warm guitar tones to welcome the listener to the split. My immediate impression of the track is that it sounds a lot less ‘folk punk’ than I was expecting but, as much as I do love my folk punk, that’s certainly not a bad thing. The guitars are wonderfully melodic and give the song a positive feeling – something I think we can all appreciate at the start of a new year – although THGS’s lyrics are notoriously not so optimistic. The second track from the band is called Pittsburgh Shoes (I’m not sure why there’s shoe theme) and it opens with the slightly bleak but relatable line of ‘It feels like it’s just you, sitting in your room, and everyday just feels the same, your friends quit calling you.’. The first verse starts slowly with the instruments taking a backseat to Derek’s pessimistic lyricism but things start to amp up as we head further into the song with plenty of distorted and fuzzy guitars soon injecting some energy into the song. The track has got that slightly raw quality to it that I’m familiar with from when I’ve previously listened to THGC. Towards the end there are also kazoos. Yes, you read that correctly. Kazoos! More kazoos in 2022, please!

Teenage Halloween take on the second half of the split. The band, who are a six-piece power-pop/indie punk band from Asbury Park, NJ, released their debut full-length in 2020 and it was on repeat an awful lot for me at the start of 2021 (it took me a few months to actually get around to listening to it – sorry!). The album featured ten passionately poppy and energetic tracks about mental health and queer struggles and the new tracks on this split continue in a similar vein but bring with them a breath of fresh air. Floating is up first and initially opens with the jangling of keys before immediately plunging us into an upbeat and catchy pop punk track. It’s a short and fairly fast-paced song that features a great exchanging of vocals between Luke and Tricia come the chorus. The layered vocals and harmonies is definitely one of my favourite things about Teenage Halloween’s music so it’s great to hear it again here. The last song on the split is called Burn. Tricia takes over on lead vocal duties here for what is probably the stand-out track of the whole EP – which is saying something because everything on this split is great. Much like the previous track, Burn is upbeat and energetic but it also feels kind of erratic, I think mostly due to the jazzy keyboard playing. Either way, I love it. The track also happens to be the perfect fist-in-the-air cathartic protest song. You only have to read the lyrics for the chorus – ‘I don’t want your empty promise, I don’t want your easy fix, I want to burn the city down, And rise from the ashes.’ – to get an idea of what makes this song so great. Alternatively, you could listen to it yourself!

Stream and download The Homeless Gospel Choir / Teenage Halloween on Bandcamp here. You can also pre-order the limited edition yellow vinyl there, which looks very nice (artwork by Maura Weaver, of THGC).

Like The Homeless Gospel Choir on Facebook here and like Teenage Halloween on Facebook here.

The Homeless Gospel Choir are touring the UK in the summer which I’m very much looking forward to. Hopefully I will be able to see Teenage Halloween live as well, somewhere down the line!

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Gig Review: Breakup Haircut at New Cross Inn, London 16/11/21

Ever since seeing Dundee’s ALLDEEPENDS at Book Yer Ane Fest in 2019, I’ve been desperate to see them again. Obviously a pandemic delayed that enormously but things began to get better and, to my surprise and delight, ALLDEEPENDS got booked at for a gig at my beloved New Cross Inn by Alright Mate Promotions. They were on a fantastic looking mixed genre bill with Tim Loud, Making Friends and Breakup Haircut and I could not wait for the night to come around.

Tim Loud opened the show with his own brand of acoustic/country punk. Tim had been on tour throughout the UK prior to the show and this was my first time seeing him live since an early edition of MPF where he did the show wearing some striking face paint. Tim is a fantastic songwriter, musician and storyteller and it was fantastic to see him back on stage again. It wasn’t the biggest of crowds, it was early on a Tuesday night after all, but Tim managed to captivate the crowd whether it was with his six string, twelve string, his harmonica or voice. I’ve said this before – and Tim put it on his tour poster – but he is an exceptionally talented individual. The set was sprinkled with old favourites and some new ones written during lockdown. A mixture of slower bluesy numbers and rowdier anthems, all played with a lot of charm and passion. It was good to see Tim play live again.

ALLDEEPENDS were the next band to take to the stage. The three piece had also been on a short UK tour and had been making new friends wherever they had been. I know from punk celebrity Sarah of Shout Louder that they had had a particularly impressive showing in Manchester earlier in the tour. I’m not sure many of the fine folk at the gig had much of an idea what to expect from the band when they took to the stage but they certainly became fans thirty minutes later. For those unaware, ALLDEEPENDS play a crunching mix of folk and hardcore with rapid fire vocals and massive hooks. They are one of the most unique and interesting bands in the UK at the moment. The set was a mixture of songs from their debut EP My Name Is and some unreleased tracks that I assume will be on their debut LP – whenever they get that out to the world. As I stood watching the stage I heard some folk around me comment how good the drumming was, as well as my favourite quote of the night – “I didn’t know you could make that noise with a banjo.” Nicholas, John and Hooligan played a stunning set and I hope it’s not long before they’re back in New Cross. I’m positive that they’ll be very welcome.

Up next were a band I had heard a lot of great things about and was looking forward to seeing live for the first time, Brighton’s Making Friends. Fronted by Ryan Mansell, formerly of Fastfade, the band play super fast, melodic skate punk that wouldn’t feel out of place on a 90s Fat Wreck compilation. The foursome launched into the set with a lot of energy and burned through their songs. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a band squeeze that many songs into a thirty minute set. I assume they played all the songs they’ve released so far plus some unreleased material. I was super impressed with how tight the band were. At this point, they can’t have played that many shows together but it looked as if they had been playing together for years and years. It was also clear that the band were having a lot of fun together on the stage and this feeling definitely spilled into the crowd. At one point, I assume to catch their breath, they took a moment to shout out seemingly everyone in the room which was nice. Making Friends seem to be playing as many gigs as possible right now, so if you get the chance to see them I highly recommend you take it. A fantastic new band in the UK skate punk scene.

The last band of the night was Breakup Haircut from London. I first became aware of the band thanks to my good buddy Katie MF and have had the pleasure of featuring them on CPRW and CPRW Records in the past but this was my first time seeing them live. To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the band in a live setting but I was pleasantly surprised and seriously impressed. Playing a fun brand of indie and garage pop punk, it didn’t take long for Breakup Haircut to get the NXI crowd moving. I can’t remember the last time I saw a band whose music was so infectious. Breakup Haircut managed to get the audience in the palm of their collective hands almost instantly and it was bloody wonderful. Despite still being a relatively new band on the scene, I believe they met and formed at a First Timers workshop at DIY Space For London (RIP) a couple of years ago, the band had such confidence on the stage and were an absolute joy to watch. It was nice to see the band utilise three different singers, all with their own unique style but all still feeling very Breakup Haircut. The between song banter was also extremely charming, as the band playfully joked around with everyone. It felt like they were letting everyone else in the room into their little gang. I really enjoyed the set and was quite sad that we had to chip off a little before their set finished to catch our train home. I look forward to seeing them live again, hopefully soon. Is it over-exaggerating to say that Breakup Haircut may be the future of the UK indie punk scene? Maybe, but it also wouldn’t surprise me to see them really take off. Check them out before they do!

Thanks to Alright Mate Promotions for a wonderful Tuesday night of punk rock. It was a lovely time, with lovely people and fantastically talented bands. What more could anyone want on a Tuesday night?

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Hearts Of Gold by Dollar Signs

Hearts Of Gold by Dollar Signs has been far and away my most anticipated album of 2021. I’ve been following the band since hearing Yikes in 2015 and have enjoyed watching them grow a bigger and bigger following over the years. In March, Hearts Of Gold was released on Pure Noise Records and it definitely felt like a big occasion. I’ve seen Dollar Signs compared to The Menzingers and Spanish Love Songs in the more mainstream alternative music press but I would certainly say there’s a lot of Jeff Rosenstock in their sound as well. It certainly feels like Hearts Of Gold had a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding it – does it live up to all the positive attention it received? Of course it does.

Hearts Of Gold begins with I’m Afraid I Make Yr Depression Worse. The song starts out slowly as lead singer Erik Button and his acoustic guitar tell the sad story of a relationship where one person brings the other one down mentally and emotionally. As the track goes along different members of the band come in before they all join together for a bombastic finale to the track. The energy that builds towards the end of the song coincides with Erik realising that he needs to make himself better to improve the relationship. Up next is Negative Blood, one of three songs that Dollar Signs released in the build up to the album’s release. There’s a chaotic nature to the song that is classic Dollar Signs. I guess this is partly why they chose it as a single. It’s a positive sounding song where Erik sings about how his mental health issues are making him a tougher human being. He’s getting by and surviving despite the hardships life throws at him. I especially enjoyed the lyrics “trying to be more positive but I got B-negative running through my blood.” The third song is named Bonghammer and it is about trying to grow up but always having a reason as to why things don’t quite go as planned. I’m sure there are plenty of people reading this or listening to the song who will heavily relate. I often refer to myself as a terrible grown up. The imagery created with the lyrics “now I got frames for all my posters, I gotta use an old bong as a hammer, cuz I don’t have a toolkit like my father” is sublime.

Sticks & Stones is a short and sad song. It’s stripped back with just acoustic guitar and piano as Erik sings about relapsing but accepting that he’s allowed to have a bad day. Having a song that sounds like this pop up on the fourth track is a great idea as it really grabs your attention and forces you to listen to the lyrics. I’m a big fan of the message that the song puts out and believe it’s important for people to hear. Up next is B.O.M.B.S. which was another track released before the album came out. This was another great choice for a single as it’s so catchy and will quickly find a home in your head. The opening guitars fill the song with energy and as soon as the vocals come in you’ll find yourself wanting to shout back at the band as loudly as you can. The track is about analysing your behaviour and questioning some of your self-destructive acts. I’m very keen to see Dollar Signs live as soon as possible (hopefully at Fest this year) and I can see this song being a big highlight. The last of the three singles released before Hearts Of Gold is up next. Bad News was also released with an excellent video you can watch here. This song really reminded me of Jeff Rosenstock’s Nausea when I first heard it. There’s a musical theatre feeling to the song that gives it so much joy. It’s about sharing your problems and bad news with your friends and hopefully it will at least make things better. This is another song that’s going to be amazing fun to see performed live.

Fistfight! starts the second half of the album. It’s a slow and simple song with the music taking a backseat to Erik’s vocals. This enables the listener to really get a grip of what he’s singing about. The track is about knowing when you’ve been beaten and coming to the realisation that it’s okay to stop and smell the roses from time to time. This leads wonderfully into the next song Nihilist Gundam. Things really go up a gear here, from the slow and steady Fistfight! we jump straight into an up-tempo and chaotic song that really drags the energy of the song back up. Given that the band have made a single video of the two songs being connected by a story, it’s clear that a lot of care and thought has gone into the running order of the songs on the album and I’m a big fan of that. Nihilist Gundam is about behaving in a self-destructive way and realising that it is perhaps time for a change. This song, more than any other on the album makes great use of dual and gang vocals which adds even more to the chaotic energy that explodes out of the song. The ninth song on Hearts Of Gold is titled Falling Off. Falling Off feels like a much more straightforward punk rock song. It starts off in quick and punchy way before the melody works its way in as the band reach the chorus. As the song progresses, more and more hooks and catchy lyrics appear and, in what is true Dollar Signs fashion, things get crazy and excitable towards the end of the song. The song is about being different and accepting that it’s okay. I love the positivity that pours out of the song and this feels like another that will be really special to watch live. Interestingly, the final thirty or so seconds feels like a completely different song where Erik talks about working on himself and how difficult it can be. This felt pretty random but perfectly fitting for something in a Dollar Signs song.

Kiss Me is a short forty-three second song where Erik and bass player Dylan trade lines in a call and response manner before coming together for the chorus. I’m a huge fan of songs that have multiple vocalists as I feel like they can give a song such a big sound. It also really invites a massive sing-along which I’m always into. The track feels like an intro for the penultimate song, I Love You. I Love You sees a great duet from Erik and Phoebe Masteller-Defiance of Dandelion Massacre and I Kill Cameron. The track has a hint of the band’s early folk punk days, as well as a tinge of country thanks to some sweet harmonica fills. The song is about a couple who are madly in love with each other but not being able to express it. There is a sweetness about the song that you don’t often hear in punk songs. This might be a bold statement but, for me, this is one of the best punk rock love songs I’ve heard in a long long time. It puts such a big smile on my face and I urge all you couples to give it a listen. I wish the band would’ve made a video for the song as I imagine it would be hilarious. The final song on Hearts Of Gold is the fittingly titled Hearts Of Gold Finale. Finishing with a stripped back and raw sounding acoustic song was an interesting choice and I did expect the whole band to jump in at some point. This never happened and, on reflection, I’m happy about this and it gives the song a more earnest feeling. Hearts Of Gold Finale is about realising that even though things might seem bad now there is plenty of time for things to improve. There’s a great sense of reassurance that you get from when a good friend looks after you. Such a fitting end to a brilliant album.

I was so excited for this album to come out and it manages to exceed all of my high expectations for it. If Hearts Of Gold isn’t placed highly in my end of year lists for 2021 it means it’s been the best year for music ever. I really feel like Dollar Signs are going to be the next breakout band from the American punk rock scene and I look forward to seeing them play in front of packed crowds in the UK as soon as it’s possible.

Stream and download Hearts Of Gold on Bandcamp here.

Like Dollar Signs on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Attempts At Understanding by Animal Byproducts (by Emma Prew)

Animal Byproducts are a Manchester-based power pop meets folk punk foursome who describe themselves as ‘placid pals peddling patriarchy-poking park punk’ – and I just had to quote that for its excellent alliteration. At the beginning of February the band released a brand new EP titled Attempts At Understanding and I immediately knew this was something I wanted to review.

The first of four tracks on Attempts At Understanding is titled Bin Day and it opens with a wonderful crescendo of brass instruments and gentle guitar strumming. Before too long, the vocals come in with the wise words ‘Please don’t forget that it’s your bin day’. I can’t say that I recall ever listening to any other song that reminds me to put the bins out – and I was literally singing this to myself the other day before putting the bin out – so Animal Byproducts definitely get points for originality here. Of course, the song is not strictly just about your household rubbish, it’s about much more than that. Racists? Homophobes? People that say ‘It wasn’t like this back in my day’? They can all get in the bin. Next up is There Are Dozens Of Us! and the band don’t waste any time in getting going with this track. It’s upbeat and catchy from the outset with a superb chorus that unashamedly denies gender roles and stereotypes (‘Do I undermine your solid gender roles? Or are we all just assortments of holes?’) complete with some simply delightful power pop style backing harmonies in the second verse and a trumpet solo later on. It’s hard to pick but this might be my favourite of the four songs on the EP.

Obscene is the name of the third track on Attempts At Understanding and it opens with a melodic guitar riff that will have you bopping your head along in no time at all. When the drums come in the beat is more firmly set and it carries the song nicely through the first verse – which gave me real Chas Palmer-Williams (of Lightyear, but I mean his solo stuff more so) vibes, by the way – and into an epic sounding second verse. The trumpet really is the star of the show in this song and, as someone who is more traditionally a fan of banjo or harmonica in folk punk, it really makes me excited to listen to more tunes with trumpet parts that aren’t so obviously placed as in, for example, ska punk – if that makes any sense. The last song on the EP is Tavistock Square. Another track that doesn’t hang around, this song ensures that Attempts At Understanding ends with an energetic burst. At first I thought the lyrics were quite erratic, with talk of Gandhi, Alan Turing and the bombing of Hiroshima all in a single verse, but I’ve since read about Tavistock Square (in Bloomsbury, London) on Wikipedia and the lyrics make a whole lot more sense! The song looks at all the memories that can become assigned to and associated with a certain place, as well as reflecting on the peace that can be found in a specific location that you yourself hold fond memories of. ‘So the next time you see me in Tavistock Square, Please help me look for the peace that I found there.’

If you’re not already familiar with Animal Byproducts but like bands such as ONSIND and Toodles & The Hectic Pity then you definitely need to check out this EP.

You can stream and download Attempts At Understanding on Bandcamp and like Animal Byproducts on Facebook.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: TNSRecords Volume 4: Cheap Cans, Broken Vans and Basement Bar Bands

The much loved and respected Manchester based DIY record label TNSRecords is just about to put out their 100th release. This is an incredible achievement and, before we delve deeper into the release, I just want to congratulate Andy and Bev for this huge accomplishment. Well done guys, it’s amazing!

When I discovered that TNS were closing in on their 100th release, I speculated to myself as to what it would be. I assumed that it would be a compilation but figured it would be a kind of TNS best of, featuring Andy and Bev’s favourite songs that the label has put out over the first 99 releases. Or perhaps it would be the current active bands on their roster covering songs from classic releases – that would be cool. Instead they decided to release a compilation featuring 33 bands that are a combination of the newer bands that TNS has released music by, as well as up and coming bands that they like and want to give some exposure too. TNS has always been about being progressive and looking forward and this is a fine example of that.

I probably should’ve mentioned by this point that the compilation is titled TNSRecords Volume 4: Cheap Cans, Broken Vans and Basement Bar Bands and it’s being released on vinyl and CD on the 19th of February. Buy it here.

Now on with the actual review. We don’t normally do compilation reviews for the simple reason that there are lots of bands – and to try and go into detail about each song will break me and also probably bore you. So, for this review, I’m going to try and give a running commentary on my thoughts of the compilation as I listen through it. I’m going to set myself a rule of only listening to each song three times to stop myself getting too detailed.

First up is Incisions and their song New Day. The Manchester based hardcore act have been carving out a big audience for themselves amongst the UK DIY scene over the past few years and their upcoming new album, Bliss, looks set to continue their momentum.

Jodie Faster play short and fast punk rock songs. The band have been together since 2016 and have already found a massive fan base for themselves. Don’t Take It Bad opens with a hyperactive guitar riff and the vocals add much ferocity to the track.

Midlands based four piece Brassick provide their song They Say. The track welcomes you in with a great melody before lead singer Nicola McCarthy’s powerful vocals take you through a hard hitting and political song that will unite a crowd.

Faintest Idea are long time friends of TNS and really HAD to be on this compilation. Stomp ’Em Down is the first single from their long awaited next album. If this single is anything to go by then it’s going to be fantastic. Mixing street punk with ska to incredible effect, Faintest Idea continue to be one of the best bands in the UK.

Fun fact: Nosebleed were the penultimate band I saw live before gigs stopped. They’ve gained a reputation for being one of the best live bands in the UK and are also pretty damn good on record too. Playing an amped up version of garage punk, the Leeds based three-piece are one of the most exciting bands in the UK at the moment and their song I Got You shows you exactly why. Fast paced, catchy and will have you getting your finest dancing shoes on.

Another of the UK’s most exciting new bands are Aerial Salad. Despite their young age, Aerial Salad seem like they’ve been around forever now and it’s been absolutely wonderful seeing them progress with each release. 2020’s Dirt Mall saw them take another giant leap forward with their grungey take on pop punk. Mainstream attention deservedly awaits Jamie, Mike and Matt.

In Evil Hour are a melodic punk rock band from Darlington, UK. The track 2050 is my favourite I’ve heard from the four piece. It begins slowly and builds and builds. The further you go into the song, the angrier it gets and it does a great job taking you along for the ride. Alice’s vocals are superb throughout, one of the best voices in UK punk rock.

DIY punk legends The Restarts provide the song Freedom From. Delivering a slice of thrashy hardcore punk rock from London. The song is unrelenting throughout and goes by like a tornado. Fast guitars, thumbing drums and snarling vocals.

Hastings’ punk act Haest are another new band quickly making a name for themselves. There seems to be an affinity between Hastings and TNS so it wasn’t surprising to find Haest on this album. The Turtle In The Handbag is a hard rocking punk song that has a bit of a throwback feel to it.

Another long time friend of TNS are Warrinton’s folk punks Roughneck Riot. The band took a short break in 2019 and were due to make their triumphant return in 2020. Unfortunately all of the tragedy of 2020 happened and they were unable to get back for any live shows but it seems they were able to get into the studio at some point to record some songs. The track, A New Day Is Dawning, is an uplifting song about better times being on the horizon.

Knife Club are a TNSRecords supergroup. There was a lot of mystery surrounding the band before they eventually revealed their members last year. Sadly they haven’t been able to play any shows yet but they did put out a phenomenal album in the form of We Are Knife Club last year. Fronted by Andy Davies (TNS/ROTPM) and Zoë Barrow (Casual Nausea), You Can Only Try Your Best is a new and unreleased song that is really empowering. This is perhaps my favourite thing from the band so far.

A lot of people have been talking about Bobby Funk in the past year and their song I’m A Cat has been proclaimed by many as the best song of 2020. Hailing from Falmouth in Cornwall, Bobby Funk play fast and straightforward punk rock that’s a lot of fun.

Harijan were one of the first bands that TNS released music by and, at the end of 2020, they finally released their debut album. Paranoid is one of my favourite tracks on the album. It’s an upbeat song that showcases lead singer Mike’s distinctive voice brilliantly. This is another song that you’ll need to get your dancing shoes ready for.

Youth Avoiders bring back the angry hardcore with their song Steel Concrete. A very apt name for such a hard song. There are no wasted moments in the song as the French band storm through the song. Steel Concrete actually comes from an album named Relentless which is the perfect way to describe this song.

Pi$$er are another super group who feature current and ex members of bands such as The Domestics, Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man, Doom, Beat The Red Light and many more. Playing d-beat hardcore with a saxophone, they are one of the more unique bands to have emerged in recent years and certainly one to look out for.

Bristol’s Martyrials offer up a synthesized take on the punk rock genre. This is clearly a band not afraid to venture outside of the box and they’ve managed to create something quite wonderful. Sonically Parachute will have you dancing away, there’s a great energy that gives the song an urgent feel and vocally there is plenty of bite.

Dundee gruff punks Uniforms have been a big favourite of mine for years now and I was very pleased to see them featured on the compilation. Searchlights comes from the EP Reasons To Breathe which was co-released by TNS and Make-That-A-Take Records in 2018. It’s an absolutely banging song from one of the UK’s best bands.

I can remember seeing Wales’ Grand Collapse at MPF 2 in 2016 and they seem to have had a relationship with TNS ever since. The four piece play blisteringly fast hardcore that will get a mosh pit moving like a hurricane or make a room full of people aggressively bang their heads in unison. Calvin’s vocals really make you pay attention to the song and the band show considerable skill with their instruments with some really technical riffs and drum lines.

Casual Nausea are a five piece from Ipswich. Casual Nausea are one of the UK’s most interesting sounding bands. Mixing street punk with hardcore, they feature great dual vocals that work incredibly well together. The song Empty Rewards is a real ear worm of a song that really stands out amongst all of the other great songs on this album. It’s really infectious.

Sandwiching Casual Nausea in a Welsh hardcore sandwich are Pizzatramp. Pizzatramp showcase the trashier side of hardcore, playing three chord punk rock as fast as they possibly can. I Got Work In The Morning tells a tale of not being able to live the life you really want to because you have your rubbish day job the next day. Something we can all relate to!

Everyone’s favourite folk punk band Stöj Snak are up next. The Danish band have a long running history with TNS dating back to lead singer Niels’ old hardcore band, Mighty Midgets. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t discovered Stöj Snak yet, they play passionate and angry folk punk and can inspire alongside really tugging on your heartstrings. A firm CPRW favourite.

Manchester’s The Sewer Cats are a duo who play fuzzy, distorted punk rock. On the song Rich Cheaters, I really enjoyed how the song manages to jump between an almost poppy garage punk sound to some really angry, visceral hardcore. This is a political song that’s very fitting for the current age.

The Domestics are from Suffolk and featured is the song Don’t Tell Me What Love Is. This is a rapid-fire hardcore track that never stops for breath. The vocals on the verse are so fast it’s quite hard to make them out but I’m guessing that the song is about not conforming to what THEY tell you love is, it can be whatever you want it to be. Have a listen to the song and see what you think is going on.

Former Bootscraper member Tim Loud throws a fantastic sonic curveball into the record. The long time associate of TNS provides a country tinged rock track that showcases their brilliant ability to tell a story through a song. This is the first physical release of Anyone Else But Me as it’s only been released digitally in the past.

Skinny Milk are a duo from Brighton. Playing fuzzy punk with a shoegaze element to their sound, Skinny Milk are a new band to me and already sound like one that could make a big splash on the DIY scene as well as a more mainstream one.

Daves are a band I’ve been excited about since Sarah from Shout Louder suggested them for Do It Together Fest in January 2020. Unfortunately they were busy playing another show that weekend so we were unable to book them and I am yet to see them live. I love their fast, gruff sound. This is the type of punk that gets me singing along with my fist firmly punching the air.

If you’ve been following TNS over the last few years you’ll be very aware of Follow Your Dreams. I always feel like hardcore is one of the hardest genres under the punk umbrella to make sound original but Follow Your Dreams found a way. Using a wide array of pedals to make some fantastic guitar tones, you never know where a Follow Your Dreams song is going to take you and Kaz is a superb frontperson for the band. When you can, check them out live.

Like their fellow folk punk comrades Roughneck Riot, Matilda’s Scoundrels recently took some time off but now they are back. The Hastings bands are another with a long standing relationship with TNS and their popularity has grown massively over the past few years. They are now one of the must-see touring acts on the circuit.

Falmouth’s Rash Decision are a long running band in the DIY scene, known for their fast and thrashy hardcore punk rock songs. Their track The Martockian has a nice long intro that really builds the song up before launching into an unrelenting minute or so that is full of everything you would expect – energy, aggression, urgency, passion and ferocity.

German hard rockers Christmas are a band TNS have been championing for a while. The song Push Fast is from the TNS released album Hot Nights In Saint Vandal. It’s a heavy slab of melodic punk with vile fuelled vocals and loads of whoa-oh harmonies that really pull you into the song.

Throwing Stuff’s no-nonsense approach to punk rock has long entertained me. It was quite a surprise when they released A.C.I.Y.H.A.B. out of the blue digitally last year. Its appearance here is its first physical release and I can’t think of a better place for it to be. The song is about changing your attitude towards what you’re taught about the police and realising what they can really be like. Sadly, not all police people are good eggs.

The penultimate track comes from who I think is the newest band on the compilation but they do have a long history with TNS. Redeemon are a band birthed from the ashes of Beat The Red Light who were one of the first bands on TNS’ roster. On the track Anaphylactic, Redeemon take the skacore and metal that BTRL were so loved for an add even more influences that shouldn’t work as well as they do.

The final song is from Speed Dinosaurs. Stegasaurid is the perfect song to finish the compilation with. It’s a softer, ukulele lead song about the dinosaur Stegasaurid. It’s fun and silly and really fits the TNS sense of humour that’s been apparent over the years.

Cheap Cans, Broken Vans and Basement Bar Bands is a fantastic showcase of the amazing talent doing fantastic things in punk rock at the moment. It’s a varied collection of tracks that has something for everyone. The different and diverse styles of punk rock will allow listeners to check out new styles that wouldn’t be their usual go to – I’m a big fan. The compilation is a fitting 100th release for such an important and influential album from the UK’s DIY scene.

Like TNSRecords on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: The First One by Andy B & The World

Four years ago, former Fandangle, New Riot and Mr Zippy bassist Andy B set out on an ambitious project to write and record an album featuring musician friends, old and new, from all over the world. The project saw Andy travel all around the world to record the different parts for the album and eventually ended up featuring members from bands such as Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, RX Bandits, The Slackers, [Spunge], Death By Stereo, The JB Conspiracy, Random Hand, Lead Shot Hazard and many, many, many more! In total there are one hundred and seventy two people on this release. The album is titled The First One (suggesting that Andy is mad and is going to do this again!) and will be released on Pookout Records. Pook also appears on the album. The First One is also raising money for Centre Point and Music For All. The thought of reviewing such a big project is pretty daunting but, given the effort that’s gone in to putting this together, I feel like the world needs to hear about it.

The album begins with Black & Blue. Unsurprisingly, given the talent featured on the album, this is a pop fuelled ska punk. It’s a great choice to start the album as it’s full of energy and bursting with positivity. It’s about coming together and ignoring all of our differences to fight for a bigger and better change. The song really shows the amount of people who have appeared on the album, the gang vocals sounds absolutely massive and I love them. Up next is Something’s Out. The song starts out acoustically before some horns come in and helps build towards the vocals. After the full on celebration sound of Black & Blue, Something’s Out pulls things back for a song about struggling with your mental health, in particular anxiety. I loved that Andy placed a song like this so early on in the album. Sure the album should be a celebration of unity but it’s also important for messages such as this to be prevalent. I really enjoyed the horns on the track; those short blasts really give the song an urgency that pulled me in. On my first listen through of the album the third song, Protestin’, really stood out. Lead by Cara-Jane Murphy, the song is a political song about the importance of protesting. The song borders on gypsy punk but maintains a ska element. If you were expecting a full on third wave ska album from start to finish here then you’re in for a shock. The use of the gang vocals in the call and response section of the track is genius, giving you the feeling of being at a protest. Fantastic work. The track also features the tenor saxophone playing skills of Dave Hillyard of The Slackers which is pretty cool. Frantic starts out with some horns from Jeremy from Skatune Network and Matt Appleton of Reel Big Fish among others. The list of people on this album really is ridiculous. Ben Hayes and Matt Carson’s vocals sound great on the track. The higher pitch gives it a unique feel that really pulls you into the song. This song certainly reverts back towards the third wave sound but also features some of the most impressive musicianship on the entire album (which really is saying something!), there are some moments throughout the track where Jon Priestley’s guitar really shreds.

Won’t Back Down features a familiar vocal in the form of Karen Roberts, formerly of Chase Long Beach. There’s a band I haven’t thought of in a long time! There’s a fun swing vibe to the song that will get you moving and Karen’s vocals sound as good as ever. The song is another political one about continuing to fight for what you believe in no matter what obstacles stand in your way. Times sees Al Copeland of [Spunge] fame take the lead vocals. As a big fan of [Spunge] this was very exciting for me. This is a bouncy ska punk number than will get you singing along and dancing (in true [Spunge] style). This song feels like a massive party number where you’ll have your arms around a stranger, singing along with joy in your heart. The track is about having a big night out, the self destructive behaviour that comes out and wondering where you should draw the line. The seventh song Don’t Look Back sees a bit of a Fandangle reunion as Andy is joined by former bandmates Tommy Saunders on lead vocals and Ed Starnes on trumpet for the song. It also features Roger Lima of Less Than Jake and MC Lars on the song. And it also features Chloe from Catch-It Kebabs, Tom and Evelyn Crabb of Lead Shot Hazard, Rob of Darko/Lockjaw Records and the previously mentioned Pook among loads of other people in the song. Imagine if Andy could somehow organise all these people to perform live one day, that would be something! The song is about the beauty of friendship and having people who will be there for you whatever happens.

The second half of the album starts with Not Gonna Settle. Jennifer Morrison of Tef London takes lead vocals on this track. It’s a stripped back acoustic ska song that is full of summer vibes. The track is an upbeat and positive song about knowing your worth and striving for the best of everything. This song is full of empowerment and works perfectly in the context of what the entire album is about. The ninth song is titled Follow The Streetlights and features the impressive vocal talents of Tony DiCarluccio of The Main Street Sweep. This track is a modern take on a more traditional ska and two tone style. The song really explodes during the chorus and I would imagine it would sound incredible sung in a big hall. The horns (there are thirteen horn players on this song) add so much bounce and energy to the song and the organ (played by Andy B) gives life to the verses. The punk in ska punk is well and truly brought back in No Righteous Cause. The song starts out with some simple guitar chords that give the song a darker edge before a huge drum roll comes in and the song bursts with energy. The guitars become faster and soon are joined by a catchy horn riff. By the time the vocals come in you know it’s time to party. Billy Canino’s vocals were higher than I was expecting after the intro but they do give the song a different sound. Something great about this is how they make you listen to every word. Advertise This must win the award for the most amount of people on a stripped back acoustic song ever. Richard Narbett is in charge of lead vocals here and gives the song a very accessible pop sound. It’s a catchy song about how people can be affected by the way advertising and the media make you feel about the way you look and how you’re doing in life. How they paint a picture of what is perfect and the mental health issues this can cause people. It’s important for people to remember that there is no such thing as perfect and everyone has flaws. The gang vocals on the final chorus present a great coming together of people and let the listener know they’re not alone.

Change The World is a stand out track on the album for me. Captain Accident takes the lead so you know it’s going to be a reggae driven number. There are also elements of world music that sneak in that work really well within the song. As the song progresses, the band take you massively by surprise as the track changes gears dramatically. It switches from soulful reggae to skate punk and I guarantee nobody listening heard it coming. I absolutely loved it. I guess with this many people working on the album it inspires so much more creativity and possibility. Change The World is about exactly what you would expect – changing the world. It’s a positive song about protesting and fighting for what you believe in. How the song goes from peaceful to urgent is just amazing. The penultimate song on The First One is titled Things Change. Andy B released a fantastic video for this song in the run up to the album's release. This is a full on folk song that is again brimming with positivity. It’s about coming together to try and make changes for the better. There’s a couple of songs that cover this subject on the album and I’m all for that. It’s important for people to know that they can make a change in the world. The gang vocals are the big highlight, with a huge choir of people coming together to sing out the song's important message. The final song, Eleventh Hour, shows off another different style. It starts off with an electric horn melody which was written by Pook before a gentleman by the name of Jake “Project” Brimble begins rapping over the music. Being this far into the album and it still managing to sound different and unique is impressive but I guess not that surprising given just how many people are involved in this album. Combining hop hop and ska punk music always seems to work really well, I'm not sure why there aren’t more bands doing it at the moment. There’s so much energy here that it’s difficult to stay still whilst listening to the song.

The First One is an incredible achievement. The time and effort it must have taken Andy to put all of this together doesn’t bear thinking about. Each song is brilliantly unique but they manage to all tie together and feel a part of the album rather than the album feeling like a collection of songs with no connection. Even if ska punk isn’t your thing, I encourage you to give The First One a chance just because of the sheer size of this project and that it was all done for two very worthwhile charities.

Stream and download The First One on Bandcamp here.

Like Andy B & The World on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: The Distance Between by Arms & Hearts (by Emma Prew)

We all know that 2020 has been difficult and strange year for a lot of reasons. It’s been an odd year for new music although there has been plenty of it, all things considered. Personally, despite starting the year being excited to discover new artists and hear new albums from my existing favourite artists, it got to a point over the summer and into autumn where I just wasn’t that enthused about listening to music in general – new or otherwise. There have however been some exceptions to that, including the album I’m going to be talking about today!

The Distance Between is the much-anticipated debut full-length from Manchester-based Arms & Hearts that was released on 13th November. We’ve been fans of solo songwriter Steve Millar, aka Arms & Hearts, and his heartfelt acoustic punk for almost as long as this blog has been around. I know fellow CPRW contributor Richard was very impressed by this album so hopefully I can do it some kind of justice in my review. Read on and see what you think…

The Distance Between opens with the somewhat bleakly titled Epitaphs. After a few seconds of an almost eerie sounding fade in, the track begins with some firm strummed acoustic guitar chords. The first lines of the song – ‘I didn’t come here to talk about dying, but lately it’s all that I’ve been thinking about’ – are indeed pretty bleak but it also feels honest and genuine. The song is about dealing with feelings of existential dread that unfortunately goes hand in hand with suffering from depression. There’s a sense of building throughout Epitaphs that feels very appropriate for an opening track and it leads us nicely into track number two. Kerouac On A Minimum Wage is up next and the pace is immediately ramped up for this melodic and catchy tune. There’s a lot more going on instrument-wise here compared to Epitaphs with steady drums, great layered guitar parts, subtle baking vocals (which I believe are courtesy of Sam Moloney of Mixtape Saints) and a decent dose of harmonica – have I mentioned that I love a bit of harmonica? The song is about working in a soul destroying minimum wage job in our unavoidably capitalist society and struggling to make ends meet – ‘This is how we live when we ain't really living, this is how it feels when the wheels ain't spinning, cursing Christmas lights as we welcome another year, another year of just scraping by’. It’s definitely one of my favourites on the album, maybe even one of my favourite songs of 2020. Track number three, Forever The Pessimist, opens with a wonderful melodic electric guitar part that is backed up by acoustic strumming. One of the things that immediately struck me about this album, particularly compared to some of Arms & Hearts’ previous releases, is just how much fuller their sound is. A full band Arms & Hearts live performance is certainly something I’d love to see one day. Forever The Pessimist is about Steve’s journey to sobriety and coming to terms with the fact that alcohol isn’t a suitable coping mechanism when you’re already struggling. It’s hopefully a song that some listeners will be able to relate to and find comfort in.

Obviously, by this point of The Distance Between, we know that this isn’t exactly a cheery, sunshine and rainbows album – but let’s face it, that’s not really my cup of tea. Things do however take a seemingly darker turn with Static. At the start of the song, the guitar playing is muted and Steve’s vocal feel bitter as he begins to sing of struggles with his mental health, focussing on the unpleasantness of having a panic attack. A real highlight of the track is towards the end when Steve’s vocals are complimented with backing harmonies – ‘because all I wanted was to feel something now all I feel is nothing, all I feel is empty’. It’s something that I know would/will sound incredible live. The fifth song, Community, features Jared Hart from New Jersey punk bands The Scandals and Mercy Union. The song is about life on the road as a touring musician and the sacrifices you have to make – both physically and mentally – in order to be able to do so, something that both Steve and Jared both know a thing or two about. Often the life of a touring musician can be glorified as a life of partying and seeing the world but the reality, at least for DIY punk musicians, is not so black and white. I’ve said it a few times already but this is going to be another great tune to sing along to in a live setting – it’s even got some classic punk rock whoa-oh-ohs. Up next is Out For Blood which, if I remember rightly, was the first single released from The Distance Between earlier this year – check out the excellent video by Fish Outta Water Films. This is definitely one of the more upbeat songs on the album and I mean that both in terms of melody and subject matter. Out For Blood is about eliminating toxic people from your life and the track is pure catharsis to listen to. You also can’t complain about the infectious nature of the chorus, even if it does have the potential to get stuck in your head for days. ‘If you're out for blood then come and get some, If you're out for blood then come and get some, If this year's taught me anything it’s how evil people can be, If you're out for blood then come and get some, If you're out for blood then come and get some, if you bring the lighter fluid I'll bring something to make a spark, and we'll burn it down.’

The seventh track on The Distance Between is titled Worry In The Walls. It’s a slower paced and more stripped back song than some of the others on the album but that simply allows the listener to fully focus on the emotion in Steve’s voice – ‘Will we ever find the money, to live half a life?, all this work to live to work beats it out of me’. It could perhaps be said that there’s a bit of a New Jersey influence throughout Arms & Hearts’ music – often compared, understandably, to Brian Fallon – and on Worry In The Walls I am definitely getting Bruce Springsteen vibes. The haunting harmonica playing that breaks up the song and the horns towards the end further support this. The penultimate song on the album is its title track, The Distance Between. Starting slowly with a muted guitar part and hushed vocals, The Distance Between gradually builds into something with such a huge, dare I say epic, sound. It’s unlike anything else on the album before it – very much a full band affair with layer upon layer of dreamlike guitar parts. The song reaches its final crescendo with thirty seconds to go before fading out in a distorted fuzz. The album could have ended there and it probably would have made perfect sense… It doesn’t and that’s okay because what comes next is the icing on the cake for me. Fortitude is not a new Arms & Hearts song, having originally been recorded in 2017 and featuring as a live set closer for many years, but I was so happy to hear it as The Distance Between’s closing track. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would consider Fortitude to be my favourite Arms & Hearts song and this new version is just even more wonderful. It’s an acoustic track that somehow manages to have such a big sound and instantly begs you to sing along with Steve. There are some flawless group backing vocals on the track that really give it a similar feeling to hearing the song live. I love it and it’s honestly just awesome to finish listening to the album with a big smile on my face.

I was always going to like whatever Arms & Hearts released next but The Distance Between has surpassed my debut album expectations. Yes, it’s got some quite dark and, at times, miserable subject matter but there’s also a real catharsis to it all and there’s no denying that it ends on a more hopeful note. An excellent album in a not so excellent year.

Stream, download and [pre]order the vinyl on Bandcamp now and like Arms & Hearts on Facebook.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Black Light by Ash Ellis (by Emma Prew)

Ash Ellis is a solo acoustic songwriter based in Southampton. Taking inspiration from the likes of Ducking Punches and The Front Bottoms, Ash aims to ‘add a folk spin to punk orientated vibes’. The Black Light EP, which consists of three fully polished tracks and two bonus demos, was released on 24th October and the artwork immediately enticed me to have a listen.

The EP opens with its title track, Black Light. It’s a slow builder of a track and one that is on the quiet side of the folk punk spectrum with a wonderful gentle violin part that oozes emotion into an already emotional song. The song is about feeling lost and alone in life, with no real sense of purpose or clear direction with regards to what to do next. It sounds a pretty bleak subject matter but the song does end on a more positive note – ‘And I don't know if this is worth it, Things always seem to worsen, So maybe I'll make a clean break from it, I refuse to die a nervous person.’ Opening with a soft strum of the acoustic guitar and the line ‘I'm spiralling through space and time…’, Black Light II: The Saddening unsurprisingly continues the melancholic tone of the first song – it is part two, after all. The Saddening is about wanting to open up to someone about how you’re feeling and what you’re going through but only if they can do the same with you. Ash displays a real skill with words throughout the song, not least in the chorus – ‘But like poetry you rhyme, The only sense that I could find, If you show me your insides, I’ll show you mine.’

The third song on the EP is titled Prison Love Letters. The songwriting on display in this song really reminds me of some of Frank Turner’s softer tunes circa England Keep My Bones – and I 100% do not mean that as an insult. There’s a great sense of storytelling throughout the track, it almost feels like you’re listening to someone reading the pages of a novel. Again, the music is definitely on the quieter side of folk punk but there’s so much going on in the lyrics that I don’t think it matters. The last two songs on Black Light are technically demos but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth checking out. In fact, the somewhat raw and unpolished nature of both Let The Strings Ring Out and Emotional Showman feels more accessible. I could definitely imagine watching Ash Ellis playing these live in a small bar or basement type venue, unplugged and with a group of happy music fans singing along to every word. The EP closes with some lyrics that seem pretty apt – ‘I’ll see you at the end of all this noise, There's so much fucking noise, And so much to destroy, See you at the end of all this noise.’

Stream and download Black Light on Bandcamp here.

Like Ash Ellis on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Life, Death And Everything In Between by Stöj Snak (by Emma Prew)

Back in 2016, when I was still new to review writing, Colin sent me an album he’d received from TNS Records that he thought I would enjoy because it was ‘folky’ – folk punk being my thing. That album was the debut full-length from Danish four-piece Stöj Snak titled ScreamerSongwriter – I’d never heard of the band before, nor front person Niels Højgaard Sørensen’s previous melodic hardcore band Mighty Midgets at the time, but I did enjoy the album. I’m reluctant to re-read my 2016 review (or link it here – although you can quite easily find it, if you wished to) for fear of it not being up to scratch with my current review writing nor truly reflecting just how much I have come to love ScreamerSongwriter – so much so that I would consider it to be in my top albums of all time. That initial review also wouldn’t have captured how Stöj Snak have grown to be one of my most favourite artists – not to mention live performers.

Since ScreamSongwriter, Stöj Snak have released two EPs – 1000 Daisies in 2018 and a split with Speed Dinosaurs titled The Mass Extinction Split last year – and several video game soundtracks (I highly recommend checking out the game Figment, it’s very good). All of the above have been excellent but, of course, what I’ve been eagerly awaiting above all else is Stöj Snak’s second full-length album. The wait was finally over towards the end of September when Life, Death And Everything In Between appeared in the CPRW inbox and I did a happy dance before preparing myself to listen to what I’d already proclaimed to be my most-anticipated album of 2020. 

For Life, Death And Everything In Between, Niels is joined by Rasmus Glassau Clausen, Jeppe Nørgaard, Jesper Olsen – who each play quite a range of instruments – as well as a number of other guest musicians and vocalists.

The album is out on the 23rd of October on 5FeetUnder Records, TNS Records and Make That A Take Records. Please read on to find out just why you should listen to it as soon as you can! In short: It. Did. Not. Disappoint. (My review, however, is far from short so apologies in advance.)

Life, Death And Everything In Between begins slowly and calmly with Reasons To Smile. The track is almost entirely acapella with just some gentle organ playing starting over half way through the short song. It’s a beautifully distinct opening track that really grabs the listener’s attention and allows us to focus on every word that Niels is singing. Reasons To Smile is a personal song written for Niels’ child and is about acknowledging that the world is a pretty horrible place – ‘I know this world is not a place I would want to be born into’ – but hoping that they can live the happiest life possible despite this and ‘find reasons to smile’. It’s a perfect introduction to the album that leads us nicely into track number two – Trees. I knew I was going to really like this song, just from its title, before I had even heard it for the first time – hitting play, it did not let me down. Starting out with a drum roll and some fast paced strums of guitar, it’s clear from the outset that this is going to be a more raucous Stöj Snak tune. When the vocals come in, Niels’ voice has got that wonderful slightly raw quality that we know and love from previous Stöj Snak releases, without being too far down the screamy end of the scale. Trees is a wonderfully catchy song both in its lyrical content and melodies – I particularly love Jeppe’s subtle double bass part that sits comfortably behind the swift guitar strumming. Rather than literally being about trees, the song describes us humans as being like trees without roots to hold us down, trying to do the right thing and vote for the change we want to see in the world and our lives but being ‘blown apart when a storm comes around’. The (Not So) Great Depression fades in with the question ‘How do we escape, How do we escape, How do we escape, This not so great depression?’ before the whole band comes in full force, quickly matching and then surpassing the tempo of the previous track. As you might be able to tell from the title of the track, The (Not So) Great Depression is about how many of us find ourselves suffering with some form of depression in modern life and the track questions why this might be. The lines that struck me the most – although, of course, Niels is a master lyricist so it’s all gold – are ‘Is it the way you're disconnected from nature and apathy replaced your will to fight, Or how bright screens and gadgets steal your attention and all your spare time just passes by?’ The song has some wonderful transitions from fast paced verses with loud vocals to slower more muted sections before ending with full on screaming.

The tone changes completely for the fourth song on Life, Death And Everything In Between. Bliss Point was released in hand drawn and animated lyric video format in mid-September and, if you haven’t already seen it, then I highly recommend you go and watch it now. The video itself is captivating and is a wonderful accompaniment to a truly beautiful song. Opening with a steady finger picked guitar riff and subtle synth part before some distinct harmonica playing and the rest of the band come in, Bliss Point is one of the more mellow sounding songs on the album but that is definitely not a bad thing. It’s also one of the longer songs on the album, clocking in at 6 minutes, but it never feels too long. The song builds and builds throughout its duration with the real highlight coming well over half way through the song as Niels declares ‘I don’t want to leave, Let’s live while we’re still breathing, I don’t want to leave, And dream before we fall asleep’. I can’t express how much I want to sing along to that at a Stöj Snak live show one day. Hopefully I can. Next up is Wants/Needs which opens with a surprise trumpet part (a guest appearance from Sara Harrington) and instantly reminds me of long-standing folk punks Days N Daze. When the vocals and the rest of the band come in however, I soon forget any comparisons as this is classic lively Stöj Snak. I also want to refer to the song as joyful although I know that that’s not necessarily reflected in all of the lyrical content. Wants/Needs is about feeling like you want certain, often material, things even if those things aren’t what really matters in life. I just can’t help but smile and sing along to ‘Sometimes what you want are not the things you need, Sometimes what you want are not the things you need, While you fall, I’m hanging here right above you, Pressing on, I'm hanging here right above you, Hoping someone’s there to catch you.’ Sensible Utility wastes no time in getting going and soon confronts the listener with a thought-provoking and, I’m sure, very relatable subject matter. Niels sings of seeing a child suffering in poverty on a charity advertisement on the TV before uncomfortably turning it off as well as feeling uneasy when passing a homeless man on the street. The chorus asks ‘We’ve got to fucking help them, don’t we? What kind of humans are we if we don't? We got to fucking help them, don’t we?’ before coming to the conclusion ‘But we can't save the whole world on our own’. It’s true but I think – and I think what Stöj Snak are trying to say is – that you can always try to be a better, kinder person and make a positive impact on the world, however small that impact may be.

Kicking off immediately with a melodic bass line, rhythmic guitar strums and percussion, This Condition tackles similar themes to The (Not So) Great Depression although this time it feels more personal. Niels sings of having feelings of melancholy despite being ‘better off than most’ and having been brought up with ‘food, education and toys’ but feeling like because, at least on the outside, your life appears to be great, you cannot complain or feel sad. I know some listeners will take great comfort in these lyrics and will also enjoy the cathartic singalong that takes place towards the end of the track – ‘Maybe these songs will never really matter, But it matters that we try, First step to change is seeing a pattern, That we can break if we rise, The future belongs to those holding on, When you sing along, I'm holding on, Na na na (etc.), Let’s sing along!’ The eighth song of Life, Death And Everything In Between, Drink From The Well, is one that I was already well acquainted with due to its inclusion on 2019’s Mass Extinction Split. It’s an upbeat, bouncy and super catchy tune that certainly doesn’t sound out of place on the record so I have no complaints about its inclusion. The song is one that’s more obviously about the consequences of climate change than perhaps anything else on the album but the idea that it will not have the an impact on us necessarily but our children and future generations instead is a theme that runs throughout the album. ‘We've poisoned the waters and ruined the crops so what do we say our kids turn to us, And ask us to justify all this mess – they will reap what we saw.’ The review pack for this album helpfully includes not just lyrics but also which instruments appear on which song, and who plays them, so I’ve learnt that the sort of twanging instrument throughout Drink From The Well is a jaw harp – and I love it. With its soft piano lead opening, it’s clear that Songs About Beliefs is going to be a slower track that gradually builds up throughout its duration. Like Bliss Point earlier on, this is one of the longer songs on the album. It’s also so incredibly emotional and moving, so much so that the first time I listened to it I almost teared up – probably the fact that I was driving at the time was all that was stopping me. It’s just that heartfelt and passionate. I must have listened to Life, Death And Everything In Between over twenty times before actually sitting down to review it and this song still hits home just as hard as the first time I heard it. It takes us on an incredible journey from simply feeling like everything in the world is shit to really trying to get better and do better. The whole song is a hugely cathartic experience but the crowning moment is towards its conclusion, after an impassioned harmonica performance – ‘Rise and sing, all of my fallen friends, If just for tonight, live our beliefs, Rise and sing, all of my fallen friends, Let’s be the change we want to see. Yeah, let us sing for the whole world to hear, expose our hearts, our hopes and ideas, And for once be true to ourselves and make things matter, If it mattered once to dream like this, we can make it matter now.’

As the album begins to draw to a close there’s yet another change in musical style for a minute long bluesy number titled Smoke. With a slightly more electronic feel than much of the Stöj Snak back catalogue (‘programming’ and ‘feedback’ are listed in the credits for this song), it actually wouldn’t feel out of place on one of Niels’ video games soundtracks. There’s a very dark feel to the song as Niels sings of smoke rising above the trees. Whether that smoke is the result of industry or a burning forest hardly matters as it is the same negative impact to our planet either way – ‘Ignite the world with hatred, kill till there’s nothing left to kill’. The penultimate song of the album is Fire which could easily be considered the second part of Smoke, at least in terms of its themes. However, unlike Smoke, this is the classic Stöj Snak energetic and punchy sound that we’re already familiar with. It’s also a fine combination of melodic, catchy lyrics – ‘Fight fire with water if you really want to put it out’ – and screaming vocal moments. The song is about how humans are so stuck in our ways, fighting wars and causing destruction, that there’s not even a valid reason for it anymore. As you can probably imagine, it’s a pretty angry sounding song, best displayed in the bridge – ‘They prosper from division so they want you to hate them, But fuck all the weapons and fuck all this hatred, If your beliefs are worth killing for then set an example and start with yourself, Stop killing people and go to hell.’ Life, Death And Everything In Between has been quite the journey so far but it’s not over until we take in its epic nearly 11 minute long album closing title track. Starting with clear vocals and stripped back instrumentation of only guitars, even from the beginning of this song it feels like the ultimate culmination of everything that’s come before it and its initial simplicity seems to echo the album’s opening track. I can’t even begin to quote and analyse the lyrics of most of this song – the lyric sheet I have goes over two pages – but it really does feel like Niels covers life, death… and everything in between. Like the other slower tracks on the album, this closing track has a great sense of building throughout, complete with a harmonica solo around the 6 minute point – I honestly love a harmonica solo more than a guitar solo. It’s the last two minutes of the song that really pull on your heartstrings as Niels passionately sings ‘I hope you'll dance till you drop, Sing back at the madness, Let the tune lift you up, Carry you on so you keep on smiling, I hope you'll dance till you drop, Punch holes through the sadness, Give all you’ve got, When shadows fall, burn like a fire, Burn like a fire. I hope you'll dance till you drop, Bring light to the darkness, But when the sun comes back up, Take a brief break to hear the silence.’ Honestly, it’s superb. What an incredible way to finish an album.

I went into this review of Life, Death And Everything In Between with high hopes but Stöj Snak have completely blown all of my expectations out of the water. It may have been four years since they released their last album but you can really tell that every single detail has been considered here. From start to finish, this album is a masterpiece and I’ll be raving about it for week, months and years to come.

You can stream Bliss Point and Fire and pre-order Life, Death And Everything In Between (plus other goodies) on Bandcamp here.

Like Stöj Snak on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.