Album Review: Astroturf by Hot Mass (by Lara Roberts)

It’s 2022 and the world is slowly adjusting to a new normal, post-pandemic way of life. While we take tentative steps together exploring this new world, there are still a lot of home comforts, things that are the same but just a little different – little changes that you didn’t realise you would enjoy or need unless The Great Fuck Up happened back in 2020 (more self-service and cashless payments, praise be).

Six years after their first album was released, Swansea punks Hot Mass are back in the studio working on their sophomore album, Happy, Smiling, and Living the Dream. The first single from their upcoming album is a journey of self-discovery and self-assurance while trying to navigate your way to self-acceptance in the very modern face of not quite fitting in with everyone around you. It’s something we’ve all felt at some point, some more than others (hello!), so you’ll find that both the Astroturf melody and lyrics are easy to connect to from the first play. With lyrics like “these crossword clues don’t get any easier, and fuck the words they spell out – just stay what you are and light up the room day after day” – it’s almost as if the song is cheering you on to stay true to yourself, a long-lost friend that’s got your back, to stop you questioning who you are.

“The song embodies the punk-derived sonic textures that we love, but I wanted to pay homage to the early college/indie rock era and the free-floating guitar parts that are a staple of those genres” explains vocalist and guitarist Rhys Jenkins. Hot Mass have successfully and authentically produced a sound that is reminiscent of 90s college and indie rock, while staying true to their original, more punk rock roots. Bands like Weezer (Blue Album-era), The Pixies, and Dinosaur Jr. are thrown at you from the get go, albeit with tighter guitar playing than a noise-fuelled free-for-all. This works exceptionally well, keeping a more ‘punk’ edge to the track.

Full of catchy and comforting melancholic melodies and poignant positivity, Astroturf is a fantastic introduction to what promises to be new sound for the band. Nervous Tension was a solid first album for Hot Mass, and Happy, Smiling, and Living the Dream builds on that with the introduction of a few little changes, creating a more mature, self-assured sound.

Astroturf is available to stream everywhere from 22nd July 2022. Make sure you check out the video too.

Happy, Smiling and Living the Dream is out August 2022 on Brassneck Records (UK), This Charming Man Records (EU), and Black Numbers (US).

This review was written by Lara Roberts.

Album Review: Best by Forever Unclean

We’ve been following the work of Danish indie skate punk trio Forever Unclean since the release of their first EP, Shreds, back in 2015. Since then, it’s been absolutely amazing seeing the band grow with each release. Not only has each release been better than the last, they’ve also continued to build a following each time they’ve made their way to the UK to play some shows. Seeing them play to a packed New Cross Inn for Do It Together Fest in early 2020 was one of my highlights of the entire weekend. Something has been missing though and that was a full length release from the band. On New Year’s Day that was finally remedied when the band, with the support of Disconnect Disconnect Records, Hidden Home Records and Nasty Cut Records, released Best. I’d been eagerly awaiting the release for months after drummer Leo mentioned a full length was coming when he appeared on the CPRW Podcast. It then took me forever to get around to reviewing it because sometimes I’m slow. Here it is though, my review of Best.

Looking at the tracklist before hitting play, it’s nice to see Forever Unclean sticking with their tradition of short, one word track names. Best begins with Dream. Dream starts with just some guitar and Lasse’s familiar vocals before the entire band comes in. The song is about the realities of going on tour and how, despite it seeming like you’re living out on your dreams, it can be very hard on you mentally. A solid start to the album. Persona was one of the songs that was released as a single before Best’s release. Persona is about learning that it’s okay to be the person you are and not feeling like you have to be somebody else. I really liked the crunch that the opening guitars had before flowing into the usual Forever Unclean sound. There are moments during the song where Lasse’s vocals sound at their most strained which adds a lot of anguish to the song. Rules is just thirty-three seconds – which is short even by Forever Unclean standards. During the track, Lasse asks many questions about dealing with a social situation and not knowing how to act. Despite the short song length the band manage to pack a lot in, which is impressive.

The fourth song is named Crowds. The song continues with the theme of struggling to be yourself and not knowing how to conduct yourself in a social situation. I really liked the line “and it seems like such a waste of breath, to berate my ceiling.” This creates such a good image of laying in your bed with your mind running through your day and over-thinking all the things you should have done or said. I also enjoyed the “ba ba ba ba” section which will unite a crowd in singing along. Woods was another song that was picked as a single. The track starts slowly before the vocals come in and the song explodes into life. This slower moment is great, giving you a short rest after what, so far, has been a pretty relentless album. Once again, the lyrics do a wonderful job of painting a picture. On this occasion it’s the band and their friends when they were younger going off into the woods with their guitars and having a wonderful time. As the song goes on, there becomes a bit of a divide between the friends with one half wanting to have fun forever and the others thinking that they can’t live like that forever. This is a thing that happens in most friendship groups, so a lot of people will be able to relate to the song. The sixth song, Mandy, sadly isn’t a Barry Manilow cover. It is, however, a nice love song about how spending time with that special someone is a great escape from the horror that can be life. This is a super catchy song that you’ll pick up in no time – I’m certain it will get great reactions from live crowds whenever the band play it. Scars, another single released in the album’s build up, is another short song that manages to pack a lot into its duration. It’s a song of two halves. The first is just Lasse and his guitar and the second is the full band. I like the effect that is seemingly created by Lasse standing a bit further away from the microphone in the recording. It has the great live feeling to it.

Kold is the first song that the band have released where the band use their mother tongue, Danish. As handy as it is that bands sing in English, I do always enjoy when foreign bands put out songs in their own language as well. After a quick Google translate, I deduced that the Kold is about feeling emotionless, cold and soulless and just not caring about anything anymore. Anyone who’s suffered with depression at any point will no doubt understand the feelings in this song, assuming they speak Danish or use Google translate (probably quite hard to do if you’re watching the band live though). Kold also has a really cool guitar riff at the start that pulls you in and will get stuck in your head. Lasse delivers a stunning vocal performance on the ninth song, Broken. The emotion in their voice, particular during intro of the song is quite something to experience. At a lengthy two minutes and thirty seconds, this is the longest song on Best. I think they needed that extended time to achieve everything they wanted to with the song. There’s a slow bit, a big sing-along, melody changes and even some backing vocals (I think they’re drummer Leo’s) during the track. There’s absolutely loads going on. Listen for yourself to experience it all. The penultimate song on Best is titled Smile. Leo puts in one hell of a performance behind the drums on this song. He powers the band through the first half of the track before the band slow things back down for a more emotional ending to the song and it’s completed with some gang vocals. I do love gang vocals. Best is completed with the song Change. To me, this is Forever Unclean’s attempt at a country song and I love it. The opening of the song invites another big sing-along and it’s not too long before the band revert to the indie skate punk sound that they’ve become so well known for and then they switch to a huge sounding segment to finish the album off in the Best way possible.

I always think of Forever Unclean as a UK band despite the fact that they’re based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and are Danish. The reason being is that they’ve become a big part of the UK punk community during the last few years and, like I said in the intro, it always feels as if they play to bigger and bigger crowds whenever they return to the UK. With the release of Best I feel like they’ll be playing to their biggest UK crowds ever. We shouldn’t have to wait long to see them again either as they’re due in the UK for Manchester Punk Festival in April. I cannot wait to see them again.

Stream and download Best on Bandcamp here.

Like Forever Unclean on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Don’t @ Me by RECLAWED (by Emma Prew)

RECLAWED are a new Brooklyn, New York, based indie punk band who I recently discovered after their lead vocalist and piano/organ/synth player, Erica Clayton, shared their first single in the Fest Friends group on Facebook. They mentioned having previously been in several Fest adjacent bands such as Binary Heart, Weird At Last and Freya Wilcox & The Howl – the latter whom I was very sad to only discover after they’d broken up – and I was intrigued enough to give the single a listen right away. It was an instant hit with me and I was excited the learn that a full EP was only another week away.

On 14th January, RECLAWED released their debut EP titled Don’t @ Me. The EP was fully written, recorded, mixed and mastered remotely during 2020 and 2021 but I, at least, would not have been able to tell that. This has got to be the best new music I’ve heard so far this year and I’m excited to share why!

Don’t @ Me kicks off with a short, catchy and super melodic country-folk sounding song called When It Came To You. It’s definitely not the sound I was expecting to hear but I really love it all the same. The song is about reflecting on a difficult breakdown of a relationship in the past but looking for the positives in this and certainly not regretting what happened – ‘I don't regret a single word I said to you, You were actin' out the scene that you wanted to’. Next up is A Lie We Tell Ourselves which was the first single from the EP and thus the first song I heard from the band. Gone are the country-like sounds of the previous track and instead we have an energetic, passionate and slightly angsty tune that immediately grabs your attention. Erica really belts the lyrics out alongside crunchy guitars and some rhythmic drumming that sounds almost like clapping. Like When It Came To You, this is another song that seems to have a positive spin to it. At least, how I’m interpreting the song is that you should try to live your life to the fullest and not be bogged down by feeling like you need to be in a relationship or live a certain way. There’s a similar theme to the third song, Breathe Out, as Erica sings ‘I have no reason not to be happy’. It’s a feeling I know well myself. A repetitive guitar riff opens up the track and soon serves as a steady backing to the vocals which absolutely take the forefront in this song. Erica has a wonderful voice and is supported by some subtle backing vocals at points which really adds to the overall feel of the song. Breathe Out is perhaps one of the slower paced tracks on the EP but that doesn’t stop it from packing a punch.

Wasted sees RECLAWED getting amped up again for an upbeat guitar and synth driven head bopper of a song. You can instantly hear the pent up anger and frustration in Erica’s voice as they sing the opening lines ‘You said you had it figured out, You said "it's just a gap year", You said you had a plan for it all, You said you wanted to save’. There’s a distinct bite to the vocal style that reminds of Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer which is, obviously, no bad thing. Wasted is arguably the catchiest and most earwormy song on Don’t @ Me and it just puts a massive smile on my face every time I listen to it. Wrong About You opens solely with piano – once again showcasing a different sort of sound, this is definitely not an EP of seven songs that all sound the same – before the vocals and drums come in. It’s fairly slow-paced and subdued to begin with but there’s a feeling that things are building, up to when Erica sings ‘I'll admit when I was wrong, Oh, I was wrong’ and the song is transformed into a full band number, no longer restrained. There’s some great musicianship on display in this track from the band’s multiple guitarists (Freya Wilcox, Zachary Walden, Tom Malinowski – although I’m not sure they’re specifically all playing on this one track) as well as Erica’s piano/organ/synth playing. Wrong About You takes the listener on quite the journey and what a journey it is.

The penultimate song of Don’t @ Me is what I feel can only be described as an emotional, piano-led, indie power ballad. Your Girlfriend Sucks opens with the line ‘Hello? It was me, I've been looking for you’ – presumably a nod Lionel Ritchie (and maybe Adele?) – sung in a soft and gentle voice. By the second verse however there’s a bit of that bite I mentioned in Wasted being injected into the vocals. Your Girlfriend Sucks is far from your traditional punk rock song, vocals accompanied purely by drums and piano, but there’s still a punk spirit to it all. The song is about wanting to make sure your friend is okay when they’re having a rough time, particularly when you don’t think their partner is good for them. It’s a tricky subject matter to convey in a song but I hope some listeners can find comfort in the words. The EP does what all good records should do and finishes with a bang. Don’t Come Around is an angry and gutsy track that is just begging to be sung along to at the top of your lungs – maybe at a future Fest. Don’t Come Around is about drawing the line at the end of a relationship that ended badly and admitting that, similarly to A Lie We Tell Ourselves, ‘I’d rather be alone, Than waste time waiting around on a change, That’s never gonna come’. Erica really seems to let out a lot of frustration throughout the track, not least when repeating ‘I didn’t ask you to stay’ at the end of the song. This is another track that I think will be highly relatable and a comfort to many listeners. The track, and the EP as a whole, feel empowering to me and that’s definitely something I look for in music.

I almost can’t believe just how much I enjoyed this EP. I’ve listened to it on repeat for several days now and still can’t get enough. There’s a lot of variety on offer but I love it all. This is a release, and a band, that I’m going to be raving about to everyone and anyone who will listen for months to come. Don’t @ Me by RECLAWED is the best new music I’ve heard in some time – certainly so far this year – and I highly encourage you to check it out.

Stream and download Don’t @ Me on Bandcamp here.

Like RECLAWED on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

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.

Album Review: Swim Out Past The Breakers by Telethon (by Emma Prew)

When I first heard Telethon and their fourth album, Hard Pop, in 2019 I was completely blown away by their ability to embrace multiple genres flawlessly and create an LP that could quite succinctly be described as ‘epic’. And that was before I had even listened to their previous album – the 30-track, five-part ‘rock opera’ The Grand Spontanean! Telethon are certainly not afraid of doing things a little differently and so I shouldn’t have been even a little surprised when I heard their 2021 album, Swim Out Past The Breakers, for this first time… and yet, wow, they surpassed any expectations I had several times over.

Telethon are a five-piece from Wisconsin consisting of Kevin Tully (lyrics, vocals, rhythm guitar), Erik Atwell (percussion), Alex Meylink (bass), Gene Jacket (keys) and Jack Sibilski (lead guitar). However, on Swim Out Past The Breakers the band are joined by a huge array of guest vocalists and musicians, from Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady) and Kailynn West (Tiny Stills) to Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) and Devon Kay (Direct Hit, Devon Kay & The Solutions), plus many, many more. You might think that this would be overkill for a ‘punk’ album and leave things sounding disjointed but, if anything, I think it ties the album together in a truly unique way. There is so much going on throughout the 48 minute / 16 track duration of this album that it feels like there’s always something new to discover each and every time I listen to it. And I have listened to this album a lot over the past two months or so since its release.

As I write this, it is Fest weekend and if things had turned out a little differently I would be eagerly counting down the hours until I get to see Telethon live for the first time. Alas, I have to wait another year – hopefully they will play next year as well! So, instead of watching them playing live, I felt it was time that I put my [metaphorical] pen to paper and attempt to review their fifth musical masterpiece.

From the opening track, Shit (Jansport), featuring the aforementioned Franz Nicolay and Kailynn West, which grows from a gentle and soothing to a relentlessly fast-paced power-pop banger in no time at all – with a smattering of polka (I know, what?!) thrown in for good measure – all the way through to the rhythmic and dance-inducing indie punk-style album closer Matrix (One Down At Least), featuring Chris Farren, I feel like there is truly something for everyone on this album.

For pop punk fans, there are plenty of short, bouncy and super catchy tracks on Swim Out Past The Breakers such as Outstandingly (The Riviera) (which even features a Blink 182 reference before diverging into a polka-punk breakdown), Panorama (The Polynesian) (a track that features a sublime combination of glockenspiel-like percussion instrumentation, horns and gang vocals) and the less than a minute long Worm Dirt (perhaps one of the most simple songs on the album which for Telethon still means there’s a fair amount going on). If lengthier, layered, steady building tracks are more your thing then Do You Know What I Mean (Or Not?), featuring Robb Maclean, or House Of The Future, Pt. 4 will certainly not disappoint.

My personal favourite tracks on the album come in as a double whammy at tracks number 10 and 11. The first is Americana fuelled anthem Positively Clark Street which features some skilful synth work from Gene Jacket as well as well-suited guest vocals from Gary Louris of The Jayhawks. This was the one track on the album that I instantly felt the need to recommend to my dad. And that was before I realised who the guest vocals were from – it made a lot more sense when I realised the track featured a member of one of my dad’s favourite bands! In a way that only Telethon can, they completely shake things up with the next track. Cyan does not have even a slight hint of Americana or country music to its sound, instead this is ridiculously catchy ska punk number that seems to be mostly about writing work-based emails. Cyan features guest vocals from Devon Kay which, obviously, are absolutely perfect for the song.

Telethon released a fair few singles from Swim Out Past The Breakers in the run up to its release and, in my opinion, these sounds even better in their respective places in the album’s track list. Self-starter A.E., Checker Drive, the previously discussed Positively Clark Street and Travelator each seem to take on a new lease of life in the full album setting. The songs are also well spread out through the LP so that on your first listen it doesn’t feel like you’ve already heard a continuous chunk of the album before. I’m not sure if that was a conscious decision but I certainly appreciate it.

I can’t even begin to imagine how many hours and just how much effort and care Telethon, and all others involved in Swim Out Past The Breakers, have put into creating this album. All I can say as a listener and fan of the band is that I’m thankful that they persevered with it. Swim Out Past The Breakers is stunning and deserves to be heard by all in the punk scene and beyond. This band is special. This album is quite possibly my album of the year. Go check it out!

Stream and download Swim Out Past The Breakers on Bandcamp here.

Like Telethon on Facebook here.

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: Contender by Fightmilk (by John O'Hare)

Self described as ‘Incredibly loud and incredibly gross’, London’s Fightmilk released their sophomore album, Contender (Reckless Yes Records, 2021) in May. Their first effort, Not With That Attitude (Reckless Yes Records, 2018) was an album I only heard in 2020 but was blown away by so I had fairly high hopes for Contender. I would describe Fightmilk as indie-punk, but there’s elements of power pop and a certain dream-like quality to a lot of the slower songs. Fightmilk have been together since 2015, and whilst Fightmilk may not be widely known, the songwriting, composition and production of Contender absolutely sounds like a band that are confident playing and writing together.

The record begins with (contender) and what sounds like a 40 second semi-outtake from the studio – ‘I’ve fucked it’ notes vocalist Lily Rae, on top of soft, almost discordant piano lines. This sets the tone wonderfully, allowing for a classic ‘1, 2, 3, 4’ count in to drop us into track two, Lucky Coin, where the rest of band join us. The tone is peppy, optimistic and bright, and you’d struggle not to get sucked in. ‘And I’m a Lucky Coin/I just flip myself back over’ is an instant vocal hook and one I look forward to hearing live. This is arguably my favourite track and one I’d recommend checking out. The tone continues straight through with Hey Annabelle and I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space which feel particularly reminiscent of their first record, with loud guitars, tight, snappy drums and twinkly synth moments. There is some layering of synths and extra instruments, but it never feels over-produced and is one of the things I particularly enjoyed about the whole record. The band still manage to sound like 4 people in a room enjoying themselves.

The Absolute State Of Me is where we take a slight turn to something a bit more moody. There’s some fantastic guitar work which sounds like it was lifted straight from a 90s rock band and it gives this song a more mellow tone. This song is littered with dynamic changes; instruments dropping out, backing vocals coming in and a brilliant piano accompaniment towards the end. These little things could easily go amiss, which makes them even better.

Remember the dream-like qualities mentioned previously? Girls Don’t Want To Have Fun (undeniable Cyndi Lauper reference!) is the first time we hear it in all it’s chill glory. Opening with a light guitar riff and an almost Lauper-esque programmed drum beat, you instantly feel another shift in tone to something much more melancholic. The drums remain quite busy throughout, but the soft, drawn out vocals really slow the song down allowing you to hear each word clearly. There’s also some wonderful harmonies across a lot of the vocals which are very pleasant. After two minutes and no chorus, it would be easy to wonder where the song is going, but when it hits and that hi-hat comes in, you’ll question how it could ever go anywhere else. The song ends with a beautifully bittersweet moment, leaving you wanting that chorus just one more time.

Whilst Girls Don’t Want To Have Fun is a great song, it carries a heaviness, so the placement of the instantly enjoyable Cool Cool Girl is perfect. Whilst you’re still clinging to the mood of the previous song, you can’t help but get carried along with the upbeat drums and melodic guitar riff. The vocal performance on this song is possibly one of the finest moments on the record. Urgent and engaging whilst remaining honest. At two minutes, the song drops down to a harmonised vocal line and picky guitars, only to build right back up with a powerful, defiant vocal delivery. ‘I’m interesting and I’m clever/And I’ll always be a Contender’ – in a world which can be so disrespectful and disregarding of women and girls, it is paramount voices like Lily Rae’s are heard.

The aptly named (tender) is a short interlude for you to take a moment after the powerful end of the previous track. Banger 4 is just what it says it is on the tin, a guitar driven power-pop banger with some cheeky bass fills and frantic drum work and another stellar vocal performance. If You Had A Sister follows, bringing with it what feels like the defining moment of the record. It’s quite a stripped back song through the first chorus, but moving towards the second chorus, the intensity builds and builds, finishing with a more overblown, almost Weezer-sounding middle eight. And whilst this is a sad song, the accompanying instrumentation has so much variety which keeps it lighter than the previous mellow outings.

You Are Not The Universe and Maybe feel like you are on the home stretch in the best way possible. The former opening with upbeat guitars and pounding drums, driving us all the way into the sad-tinged chorus – ‘The Play Is Unread/This Script Is Unrehearsed/You’ve Made Your Bed/You Are Not The Universe’. The song ends with the record’s heaviest moment, a full distorted rock-out and could easily have been the end of the record. Maybe opens with a short acoustic intro which drops into the full band, I do feel this could have worked as a completely acoustic song.

(bartender) is a short synth lead interlude, once again bringing in the Contender/Tender/Bartender reference with some odd voice samples which sound like an old radio. And in what is the strangest placement of a song, Contender finishes with the the latest single Overbite. Placing your new single at the end of the album seems like an odd choice, but in some way it seems to sum up Fightmilk completely. The song itself is a catchy, upbeat love song which I think everyone can sympathise with.

Throughout the record it is abundantly clear the lyrics and performances are completely genuine, to the point that some of the lyrics are even a little strange (I’m into Wrestling/And I’m clever) and by no means is that a negative. You have to appreciate someone being their completely honest, weird self – I know I do anyway.

Stream and download Contender on Bandcamp here.

Like Fightmilk on Facebook here.

This review was written by John O'Hare.

Album Review: Prophylactic Shock by Slap Happy

Denver, Colorado’s Slap Happy are a three piece band who formed in 2018. After releasing a demo and single, the band finally released their first full length in February. Titled Prophylactic Shock, it features nine songs of melodic pop punk squeezed into twenty-eight minutes. Colorado seems to be one of those states that consistently births great melodic punk bands, this made me very keen to check out Slap Happy.

Prophylactic Shock begins with the song Freak Out. Starting out with some bass before a drum roll and buzzing guitar come in, the track builds towards the vocals. When they come in you’re ready to sing along with the band. The opening line of “sometimes I get paranoid and freak out” is as cathartic as it gets. The two verses lead really well into the simple, effective sing-along choruses. Between the two choruses there’s a nice break down that will give a crowd a short rest before finishing with a final big sing-along. Next is Same Old. Same Old was one of the standout tracks for me when I first listened to Prophylactic Shock. The song continues the theme of mental health, in particular questioning why things aren’t changing and you still don’t feel right. The almost four and a half minute run time of the song gives the band room to play around with the tempo of the song. They take a moment to really slow things down towards the song’s end before building up to one last chorus, which is completed with some superb harmonies. From the longest song on the album, we move on to the shortest. Kingsley Manor picks up the pace slightly for a song about moving on from your old punk house before it becomes too much for you mentally. The higher tempo gives the album a great boost of energy which I really enjoyed. This is another stand out song from the album – it’s short, sweet and got me pumped up.

The Sun starts with a rumbling bass line accompanied by some vocals before the full band comes in and the lines are repeated. There’s a sharpness to the way the vocals are delivered which really grabs the attention. This is more of an angry song about global warming and needing to act now despite governments seemingly not wanting to admit that the world is in a lot of trouble. Much like how it’s important that bands tackle mental health in their music, I think it’s also important for bands to use their platform to speak out about causes like this more and more. The fifth song, Slacker, sees the beginning of a sequence of songs that get a bit heavier. There’s a sludgier sound to the band which is quite the contrast to what we’ve heard so far. Slacker is about feeling like you’re going nowhere in your life and struggling to find motivation to do anything productive. Something we’ve all related to at some point I’m sure. Dejected is a slower, grunge-like song. The bass line gives the song a really solid spine throughout and allows the guitar to do some interesting things with the reverb. Dejected is about feeling disappointed with where your life is heading and not getting any luck. This lack of luck leaves you struggling mentally as well as causing frustration and anger. The tone of the song really helps set the mood for the overall theme.

The seventh song, Dissent, continues the heavier sound but has more of a 80s hardcore feeling to it. The guitars throughout the song really wail and bring the energy up. The vocals turn into a snarling growl that are quite difficult to make out at times. Something Slap Happy seem to enjoy doing in their songs is slow breakdowns that build towards the song’s finale. We get another one on Dissent and it may be the best one of the album, it’s my favourite anyway. The penultimate song is titled Cement Foot. Slap Happy switch to more of an indie punk sound, showing such versatility to their music. The guitars jangle in the introduction with the vocals giving the track a choppy melody that really hooks you in. A highlight is the chorus where Slap Happy treats the listener to some Beach Boy style harmonies that add a sweet extra layer to the song. Cement Foot is one of the more uplifting and positive songs on the album. It’s about struggling mentally but standing up and saying you won’t be defeated. The ninth and final song on Prophylactic Shock is These Times. These Times bookends the album nicely by reverting back to the melodic pop punk that began Prophylactic Shock. It’s about something a lot of us in our thirties worry about, our friends moving on and wondering what the next step in your life is. I really like the positivity that comes out of the song, particularly the chorus, which feels like the singer is taking a giant leap into the unknown and looking forward to it.

Slap Happy showcase a lot of variety on this album and have managed to put together a collection of songs that should cater for fans of many different punk sounds. The band touch on a lot of subject that are important to me and many other folk in the punk scene and that’s always pleasing to hear. Well done Slap Happy on a very promising debut album.

Stream and download Prophylactic Shock on Bandcamp here.

Like Slap Happy on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: I’ll Become Kind by Biitchseat (by Emma Prew)

Biitchseat are a four-piece indie punk band from Cleveland, Ohio, who I recently discovered when scouting out tracks to add to my ever growing new[ish] playlist, EMPOWERMENT – a compilation of angry, uplifting and empowering tunes from bands that have female and non-binary members. At the beginning of March, Biitchseat released a new four track EP on Refresh Records titled I’ll Become Kind. The band describe the EP as being ‘a reclamation of self-determination, and a resolution to treat yourself kindly’. I don’t know about you, but that definitely sounds like something I can get on board with. I really love the artwork as well (which is by Violet Hill).

I’ll Become Kind opens with Anti-Depressed, which was also the first track I heard from Biitchseat in general – as a single and out of the context of this EP. It’s certainly a great introduction to the band. Starting slowly and relatively quietly with just guitar and vocals, it’s not long before the volume is amped up and the rest of the band come in. The melodies are certainly pleasing to the ear but it’s vocalist Talor Smith’s voice that immediately grabbed my attention and lured me in to the song and the band. The lines ‘And you don’t have to wait for fall, And you don’t have to be scared at all.’ feel incredibly uplifting and empowering. The wonderfully titled Bad Vibes Hoarder is up next. From the outset the track has an almost dream-like and carefree feel with an enticing melody that seems to go up and down and then up and down again. Overall it’s a slower paced track than the first but is no less rousing, particularly around the three minute mark where an instrumental interlude leads into a killer final chorus – ‘…I don’t need to be a bad vibes hoarder, Shouldn’t I, shouldn’t I want more?’. There’s already no shortage of positive messages to be taken from this EP and we’re only on track two.

Wasting My Own Time is the name of the third song on I’ll Become Kind. Its warm, melodic guitar part and firm drums instantly put a smile on my face – I don’t know why but it just felt comforting, like the sun shining through a window on a Spring day. Evolving from gently strummed chords to some huge-sounding, slightly fuzzy tones, the guitars seem to really drive the song forward as Talor reflects on the feelings of needing to forgive yourself for ‘wasting your own time’. I can definitely relate – and I’m sure you can too – to the sense of always feeling like you need to be productive with every moment of free time you have. Similar to Bad Vibes Hoarder, there is a lengthy instrumental section towards the end of Wasting My Own Time but, instead of leading into another chorus, it gently fades out in an almost cinematic fashion. The last track on the EP is called Good Enough. It’s the perfect culmination of the themes that have already been reflected upon earlier on the EP, as well as featuring the EP’s title in its lyrics. Being kind doesn’t just mean treating others well, you should be kind to yourself as well – something I’m sure we all need reminding of every now and then. ‘Tell me how to become better, And I’ll become kind, And I’ll become kind, Please tell me how to become kinder, To myself, It’s about time, It’s about time.’

It’s been a rough week (month, year…), but songs like these are certainly helping to make me feel better. I like sad songs, and sometimes listening to them does make me happy or bring a feeling of catharsis, yet it’s whole different feeling to just listen to such positive and relatable tracks such as those on I’ll Become Kind. Go and check it out, it might just put a big smile on your face too.

You can stream and download I’ll Become Kind on Bandcamp and like Biitchseat on Facebook.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: You're So Cool by Family Dinner (by Lara Roberts)

Praise the powers that be for Instagram, or I may never have come across Family Dinner. After first hearing the song You’re So Cool, I was instantly hooked and wanted to go back for seconds. Luckily for me I didn’t have long to wait, as the Long Beach five-piece released their four-track EP, You’re So Cool, in February.

The EP starts off with the title track You’re So Cool, inspired by the 1993 Tarantino flick True Romance. The lyrics really capture what it feels like to get wrapped up in a relationship or situation that’s quickly getting out of control – the excitement, the admiration, and the willingness to throw rational thought out of the car window as you’re speeding through LA. It’s almost like you’re caught up in a different reality, and the dreamy, fuzzy, musical backdrop along with Natalie’s soaring vocals only adds to that feeling. We’ve all felt it, and that’s what makes this song so relatable.

Eyes feels like a follow-up to the first track, telling the story of when the initial excitement of a new relationship starts to wear off, but you’re finding yourself wanting to stay, always going back to that same situation. I found myself in the song, just like I did when listening to You’re So Cool. We get served up some delicious grungy drums and fuzzy guitars, with a side dish of 90s vibes. Note: After reading an interview with the band, I found out that this song was actually inspired by Natalie and Michael’s pet cats – and that’s purr-etty adorable.

We’re treated to another film-inspired track with Mahogany, written from the perspective of character Leon Kaufman, a worn-down photographer pushed to the point of murder, in the film Midnight Meat Train. This serves as a catchy, indie-punk tune with melodic vocals and tight drums. It’s one you can see yourself dancing to at that house party you’re longing to attend.

Our last course is Song 4 (Bloom), a catchy tune to take us through to the end. Straight off, there’s a bouncy melody that you will find yourself singing along with, leading to more fuzzy noise, tasty reverb and indie-pop vocals. In contrast to the music, the lyrics are more personal, documenting the struggles of self-acceptance and trying to claw yourself out of a dark place. I think this is something that we can all relate to, living in these strange, unusual, and often bleak times. There is a feeling of reassurance in the lyrics, reassurance that there is a light at the end of all of this – a sweet aftertaste to be left with at the end of a delicious EP.

Family Dinner bring that familiar feeling of 90s alternative rock back, and season it with an indie-pop, punk rock twist. You’ll love them if you like Hole, Milk Teeth, Somerset Thrower, Nirvana, Silverchair or Rival Schools.

Stream and download You’re So Cool on Bandcamp here.

Like Family Dinner on Facebook here.

This review was written by Lara Roberts.

Album Review: Blame Game by Beach Bunny (by Emma Prew)

Beach Bunny are an emotional indie rock meets power pop band from Chicago, Illinois, who, until coming to write this review, I didn’t realise were quite as ‘big’ as they are – they have their own Wikipedia page and over 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify! The band started out as the bedroom-based solo project of Lili Trifilio in 2015 and, after releasing a number of solo EPs, the band expanded to a four-piece. In February 2020 – on Valentine’s Day no less – the band released their debut album on Mom + Pop Music, Honeymoon, which was highly rated not just in indie rock circles. It was not long after this that I discovered the band and Honeymoon was on regular rotation for me throughout the Spring last year.

At the beginning of this year, 15th January to be precise, the band released a new four-track EP titled Blame Game. I must have missed the initial release of the EP as it’s now early February (at the time of writing this) and I’ve only just checked it out thanks to one of the songs popping up on my Spotify Release Radar but I am absolutely loving these four new songs.

First up on Blame Game is Good Girls (Don’t Get Used). Lili’s vocals take centre stage right away with the rhyme of ‘Say you miss me, Say you wanna kiss me’ immediately grabbing the listener’s attention. It’s a catchy tune from the outset and is oozing in feel-good vibes as Lili sings of being fed up of being messed around by a guy and saying that enough is enough. Rather than being a woe-is-me tale of heartbreak – something that I feel a lot of the tracks on Honeymoon could be described as – this is an empowering anthem that declares ‘I don’t need people like you in my life and I’m going to be just fine without you’. Love Sick is the name of the second track on Blame Game and it opens with a brilliantly infectious indie-style guitar riff that instantly has me grooving in my seat. You might think from the title of the song that Love Sick is about pining over someone but it’s actually more about being sick of love and the pressures to be ‘in love’ for a young twenty something year old woman – ‘Sick of love, I’m tired of the bullshit, Fed up with subtracting names, Need someone that isn’t an equation, Only adding up to pain.’

There’s a feeling of bitterness seething underneath the opening lines of third track, Nice Guys. After starting out fairly slowly and stripped back for the first few lines of the song, it’s not long before some crunchy guitars and pounding drums come in and build up to a hard-hitting chorus. Lili displays some of her finest lyrical work thus far with ‘I’m sick of nice guys, I want someone who actually wears hearts inside their eyes, And isn’t only interеsted in what's between my thighs, You win me likе a trophy, not a consolation prize.’ The track is a fuck you to so-called ‘nice guys’ who are far from as genuine as they seem. Bringing the EP to a close is its powerful title track, Blame Game. Musically it’s a fairly slow-paced and pleasantly melodic tune but it was the lyrics of the track that really made me stop what I was doing and pay attention when I first heard this song. Blame Game is about how people often try to justify sexual assault by saying things like ‘they were asking for it’ because of how they were dressed. The ‘blame’ is shifted to the person who has been assaulted rather than the actual abuser – ‘Guess it’s my fault my body’s fun to stare at, Sorry my clothes can’t keep your hands from grabbing, Yeah, it’s my problem, I’m asking for it, Guess you’re the victim and I’m the suspect’. It’s crazy that in 2021 this is still a problem and songs like this are needed. As Lili says, we should ‘Teach them why they shouldn’t do this, Instead of telling us [women] to hide.’

Although I enjoyed Honeymoon a lot at the time, this feels like a leap forward in terms of Lili Trifilio’s songwriting, as well as the subject matter she’s writing about. The songs feel more mature and, I guess being a good few years older than her myself, I feel like I can relate to these songs more so than the band’s previous material. With Blame Game, I feel like Beach Bunny have gone from adolescent heartache and superficial insecurities to really taking charge of their identity. These songs are passionately defiant and are the perfect combination of catchy indie punk melodies and lyrics with plenty of bite. If this EP is anything to go by, the next full-length Beach Bunny record is really going to pack a punch and I cannot wait to hear it.

You can stream and download Blame Game on Bandcamp and like Beach Bunny on Facebook.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: How's The Carry On!? by Sophisticated Dingo

I first discovered Melbourne, Australia’s Sophisticated Dingo due to CPRW’s Marcus buying their latest EP How’s The Carry On!? on Bandcamp. I’m always keen to check out bands I haven’t heard before so I clicked the play button. I discovered a delightful indie/garage punk act and knew I had to review them and share them with the CPRW audience.

The EP begins with the song Vultures. The first thing that struck me about the song was how much noise the band, who are just a two piece, could make. Sophisticated Dingo somehow have a huge sound that you would expect from a four piece band not just two. I assume that a large part of this is done with the use of effects pedals. The vocals are so distinctive, they are of a higher pitch and at times you can really feel the strain in the singer’s voice which is something I personally love. Vultures is a great opening track as it is filled with energy and gives a great example of what to expect from the rest of the EP. Mary begins with some 8bit music before the track starts proper. Continuing the high energy sound we first heard in the opener, this is a frantic song that has me thinking of Canadian pop punk heroes PUP. This is certainly the kind of track that will get a crowd going crazy in the pit. Mary is a love song dedicated to someone who comes into your life during a difficult time and makes it better. Without a doubt one of my favourite songs of the year.

The third song is named Ego. It starts out with an atmospheric sound and some drums before being joined by the guitar. This opening is such a big contrast to the opening two songs and shows a different side of Sophisticated Dingo. For the most part, the track goes along at a slower pace but there are moments when the song threatens to explode. Even the moments when the tempo is upped, it feels as if the band are using a lot more restraint. The penultimate track is titled Don’t Wanna Be and it starts with a jangly, raw sound that I like a lot. It gives the song an extra layer of emotion that really grabs your attention. The song is about feeling as if you’re being judged for your choices in life, in particular chasing your dreams no matter how unlikely they seem. The melody in the song is wonderful and really gets stuck in your head. It’s quite a wordy song but still manages to be packed with little ear worms meaning that you’ll be singing along to the song in no time at all. How’s The Carry On!? is finished with What Is Going On? Showcasing the band’s indie influences, the track could easily fit on all of your favourite indie playlists as well as some featuring punk bangers. As it’s a final song it does have a big ending that builds and captivates in equal measure before ending with a quiet fade out.

Sophisticated Dingo are definitely a band you should know if you enjoy your indie punk. Many bands from Australia have found success in the UK over the past few years and I really wouldn’t be surprised if Sophisticated Dingo were one of the next to do so.

Stream and download How's The Carry On!? on Bandcamp here.

Like Sophisticated Dingo on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Alright by The Hype Pathetics

The Hype Pathetics are a three piece band from Denver, Colorado. Having only formed in the autumn of 2019, the band is already on their second release. In February they released their first single Red On White and then in August came their three track EP Alright. This is what we’re reviewing today. The Hype Pathetics play catchy, fast paced indie pop punk music and I’ve absolutely loved them for a couple of months now.

Six Pack is the first of the three songs on Alright. The song bursts into life with a shout of “4-5-6 Pack” before we are greeted with simple garage punk guitar riff and then lead singer Paul Bowers’ vocals come in. Bowers sings with a higher pitch that immediately catches your attention. On Six Pack, the vocals do most of the work when carrying the melody of the song, this is another thing that really pulls you in. The verse is pretty speedy in itself but when the chorus comes in things really get fun. The track is about having fun and getting drunk at punk rock gigs. I’m tee-total so I can’t really relate to the getting drunk but I do love having fun at punk rock gigs. Up next is Heart Attack – a song that injects you with energy from the very moment it starts. It has this great quality that has you wanting to get your boogie on. Flipping things around from the opener, on Heart Attack the chorus is the slower tempo section of the song and the verse is where all the energy comes from. The song is about being hyperactive and people not accepting you for the way you. The energy from the music really reflects the overall meaning of the song. I really enjoyed that. The third and final song is the EP’s title track, Alright. This was my favourite when I first listened to the EP. The Hype Pathetics again had me dancing like a silly sausage in my chair and having the time of my life. This may be a bit of an exaggeration but I was having a very nice time. This is one of the catchiest and most infectious songs I’ve ever heard. It’s extremely simple and repetitive but I don’t believe I’ve had more fun listening to a song in a long time. The song is about trying to get in touch with someone and hoping that they’re okay.

There is a good chance that The Hype Pathetics are my new favourite pop punk band and I beg you all to go and check them out, make sure they get huge and find their way to the UK so I can see them without having to get on a plane. Thanks very much.

Stream and download Alright on Bandcamp here.

Like The Hype Pathetics on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Slurring The Rhythms by Shut Up! Twist Again!

One of my favourite recent discoveries is Shut Up! Twist Again! The four piece are from Bayonne, France and play a great mix of indie punk and orgcore. In recent years we’ve discovered bands such as Quitters and Traverse who also play a similar sounding style, it seems as if there’s something in the French punks’ water that produces this awesome sound. In August Shut Up! Twist Again! released their third full length album and their first in five years. Titled Slurring The Rhythms, it was released by a whole host of labels including Guerilla Asso (France), Fond Of Life (Germany) and Paper + Plastick (USA). After listening to just a few seconds of the opening song I knew this was an album for me. 

The eight track album begins with Prison Notebook. If this is your first time listening to Shut Up! Twist Again!, like it was mine, then this is a perfect introduction of what to expect from the band. Mid-tempo punk rock which makes you want to sing along as loudly as you can with a your best pals and favourite strangers in a sweaty basement. As you might expect, there’s a huge amount of gang vocals throughout but there are also some quieter moments that allow the song to build towards the big moments. A solid opening track. Up next is Panegyric. Panegyric is a word that I’ve never heard before so I had to look up its meaning. It’s defined as “a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something”. The track is about remembering someone that you’ve lost and living your life the way that they told you to. The song starts out it a sombre mood but as it progresses it the sound grows and some sweet gang vocals arrive to really drive home the last couple of lines of the track – “I know I got more tears to share, I’m exactly what they told me to be.” The third track is Meritocracy. From the outset this song had me banging my head along to the pounding drumbeat. It’s one of the shortest on the album and wastes no time in getting to its big chorus. I really loved the punchy, stabby nature of the guitars and how they contrast brilliantly with the more melodic sounding vocals. Despite only being two minutes long, the band have squeezed a lot into the song.

Outsiders features Oskar from The Kendolls and Tear Them Down. Outsiders asks the question of what becomes of the people who don’t fit into society? This is one of my favourite songs on an album packed with fantastic songs. It takes you on a series of highs and lows, there’s softer moments, moments of real intensity and moments that will bring people together. Having Oskar’s more intense vocals on the track was a masterstroke of an idea. It adds such an interesting extra dimension to the song that really makes you pay attention. To Our Friends is a forty-five second instrumentation that leads into The Past Is Over. Listening digitally it’s a nice interlude that also serves as an introduction to the next song. I assume that on the vinyl version of Slurring The Rhythms it starts side B. The Past Is Over starts loudly as the drums go off like cannons and the guitars buzz along with them. As the intro progresses, the drums begin to mute and the guitars take over. Much like Outsiders, we’re taking on a series of highs and lows. Being a four minute long track this allowed for a seriously good instrumental moment to finish the song that allows the songs message to really sit with you when the track has finished. It was about how things can get better despite everything seeming as if it won’t.

The penultimate song is a cover of fellow French punks The Traders’ song Forgetting Our Duties. I have to admit I had never heard of The Traders before this so had to do my research – they sound awesome. Check them out. The Traders version is a very rough and ready style of punk rock. Shut Up! Twist Again! add their own distinct style and melodies to the track whilst not stepping far from the original song. The addition of some harmonies was a great touch. It’s a political song about how the people who are supposed to be in charge are not very good and not doing their job properly. Something that we in the UK can heavily relate to. The final song on Slurring The Rhythms is New Kind Of Liars. This is an epic way to finish the album. The song has a slow build to open with a chugging guitar alongside a more riff heavy one. It builds and builds until the vocals come in and have you gagging to sing along with them. After the first verse there is an extended instrumental section before the gang vocals come in for a huge chorus. This is another moment that has me longing to be in a sweaty basement shouting my lungs out. This transitions into a chanting section, another long instrumental before finishing the whole album with some more of those ace gang vocals.

Like I said at the beginning, Shut Up! Twist Again! are a recent discovery. I’ve been listening to Slurring The Rhythms a lot since discovering it and I can see it placing very highly on my albums of the year list in December. Do yourself a favour, check this out.

Stream and download Slurring The Rhythms on Bandcamp here.

Like Shut Up! Twist Again! on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Traitor’s Hill by Paper Rifles

I’m throwing this statement out there now, Edinburgh indie punks Paper Rifles have been the busiest band during the COVID-19 lockdown. Not only did they manage to play a load of acoustic shows online, release an EP and record a covers album, they also found the time to release their second full length album Traitor’s Hill. We’ve been following Paper Rifles pretty much since we started CPRW when Jon performed as a solo act before eventually becoming a full band and they seem to go from strength to strength with every single release. I was expecting some big things from Traitor’s Hill.

Traitor’s Hill opens with The Greatest Change. The track starts in an eerie manner with a really long keyboard note before Jon’s solemn vocals come in. As the song goes on it builds wonderfully, starting with some pounding drums and then guitars. Jon’s vocals get louder and more passionate as the song continues to grow. The track is obviously about making a change in your life, whether it’s because of things that you’ve done wrong, stepping away from a bad relationship or even taking steps to move away from everything you know. Up next is Sleeping Dogs. Here the band take that big sound from The Greatest Change and really up the tempo. To my knowledge this is one of the heaviest sounding songs Paper Rifles have written so far, there’s a real crunch to the guitars that I adored. Sleeping Dogs is about trying to decide whether or not to try and make a positive change in a situation or just leaving it be in case you make it worse. The third song, It Started As A Joke, was released as a single with a fantastic video in the run up to Traitor’s Hill’s release. Slowing things down to a more traditional Paper Rifles tempo, this is where you really get to hear the strength of Jon’s voice. I’ve found it captivating since I heard it all those years ago and it continues to blow me away. The final verse on the track is the big highlight – it really had me wanting to sing-along with my fist passionately in the air.

Blood On The Wind had me thinking of Hot Water Music with its deep guitar tones and melodic vocal delivery. If Jon had a booming gruff voice like Mr Chuck Ragan, this would be like listening to a track from Caution. On Blood On The Wind the band sing about how the people who are supposed to be in charge use their position to only benefit themselves and their friends whilst the people who really need support struggle and often die because of this. The fifth track on Traitor’s Hill is Sea Legs. There is a melody in this song that reminds me of something else and it’s really bugging me what it is. (It might be It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls.) For me, this is perhaps the poppiest track on the album so far and it offers a nice contrast to the previous song. This doesn’t take away from the serious tone of the song though, as Jon puts in another emotive performance – there are sombre moments, angsty moments and moments where his vocals sound huge. I absolutely loved James’ drums at the beginning of Hearts And Minds. It’s a simple, repetitive beat that’s extremely striking and grabs you immediately. Like with many Paper Rifles songs, it builds and grows as it progresses before hitting a big chorus that you’ll be yearning to sing-along with. This is one of those songs that has loads of little subtleties that you’ll be discovering with each and every listen. Judas is potentially my favourite song on Traitor’s Hill. Bringing the tempo back up, it’s a rousing song from start to finish. It’s an upbeat and passionate song where Jon questions himself about whether he’s sold out from his beliefs from when he was younger or if he’s still the same person he once was. There’s a punchy approach to the vocals that make the song a real ear worm from the beginning and the chorus, with additional vocals from guitarist Kev, is something I look forward to seeing live when we’re allowed to do that again.

The eighth song, Headstrong, originally appeared on the Headstrong EP that was released in April. The Headstrong EP was released to help raise money for Health In Mind which is a Scottish charity that helps to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. As you might expect, the song is about dealing with mental health problems, particularly as a man where you are often raised in an environment where you are not allowed to show emotion and are forced to bottle things up. I’m sure the song is extremely cathartic for a lot of people listening to it. The penultimate song is Cemetary Sea. The song is originally by Jon’s previous band The Curators but also appeared as an acoustic version on the Politics EP in 2014. Paper Rifles seems to have given the song a fresh coat of paint and it sounds incredible. I loved the suspense-building guitar that leads into the driving second verse before the song really explodes into the chorus. The structure of this song is exactly what I love in a punk rock song. Traitor’s Hill is completed with the song Atlas. This feels like a new direction for Paper Rifles as they venture into an angsty and even, at times, grunge-like style. Starting out in an atmospheric and moody style, Jon goes for some higher notes than anything previously done on the album. This adds to the whole moody atmosphere they seem to be going for on the song. Of course, over time there are more and more layers added to the song and it takes you on quite the ride. This is an absolutely stunning way to finish the album.

Paper Rifles are one of Scotland’s very best bands and seem to get better with every release. It’s not just the songs that are brilliant but the overall sound and production of the album is fantastic. This was all done by the band’s drummer James at his home studio and is extremely impressive. I’ve been telling people about how good Paper Rifles are for years now and hopefully Traitor’s Hill will make even more people take notice.

Stream and download Traitor’s Hill on Bandcamp here.

Like Paper Rifles on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Driving by Bashful

Driving by Bashful is one of my favourite releases of 2020 but yet I never got around to reviewing it until now. Released in February on Low Risk Records, it’s a ten tracks in twenty-one minutes pop punk gem of an album.

It begins with the song Boston Shitter. This will most likely be your first listen of Bashful (unless you picked up our Hidden Gems comp) and they showcase what they’re all about brilliantly here. It’s an uptempo track that’s packed with melody and lots of opportunities to sing along. Jake Guralnik’s vocals have plenty of passion behind them that really help you to invest in the song and the album early. Up next is Song, Too. It’s clear, after just two songs, that Bashful have a great knack for writing a catchy chorus and they’re not shy about getting there quickly. Musically the song doesn’t stray far from the standard pop punk formula but, when the song is so fun to sing along to, this really doesn’t matter. Lightheaded reminded me of The Ergs when I first listened to it. I love The Ergs so this pleased me no end. There’s a slight twang in Jake’s voice that really had me thinking of Mikey Erg. I believe the song is about being on a bad trip and not enjoying how it’s making you feel. (Please correct me if that’s wrong). This is the first time that gang vocals are used during the choruses and it’s a great addition.

The album’s title track, Driving, comes next. Slowing things down slightly, there’s an indie punk vibe about this song. If you know the London based band Great Cynics, think in that direction. The slower tempo allows for a bit more depth musically. Drummer Alex Wilhelm squeezes in some sweet fills throughout the track, really showing off his skill. This skill is also shown during the short introduction to Impossible. Bringing the tempo back up very quickly, this is Bashful at their very best. Buzzing guitars, rapid fire lyrics and yet another chorus that will glue itself in your mind. The track is about realising that you’ve not been a good person to be around and promising to do better in the future. The sixth song is titled Running. Slowing things back down, Running is a power-pop track that features some sweet harmonies. The song is about dealing with anger issues and just being fed up with always feeling angry at the world. Fun? was the track that appearing on our Hidden Gems compilation. Tonally this is a fun and breezy listen but when you dig into the lyrics it’s a sad song about not enjoying your current situation and wanting to be all by yourself.

Us is about trying to move forward with your life whilst attempting to block out and escape the past. This is a song that I’m sure many people will relate with. We’ve all got things that have happened in our past that continue to haunt us into our adulthood. This song about self-realisation feels more uplifting than some of the other tracks and is treated as such with the upbeat nature of the music. The penultimate song on Driving is named Overreact. Starting out with some “whoa-ohs”, it welcomes you in immediately and will get a live crowd involved from the outset. The song shifts tempo and melodies throughout, keeping it sounding fresh and showing another page of the Bashful trick book so late in the album. The album is finished with On My Way Out. The only song on Driving to go over three minutes, this really allowed Bashful time to let loose with some extra guitar solos and drum fills. The song looks at what it’s like to feel like you’re about to have a breakdown but trying keep things together as best you can. Something else I’m sure most of us have had to deal with at some point or another.

As I said in the introduction, Driving is just ten songs in twenty-one minutes but what a fantastic twenty-one minutes it is. It’s hard to make pop punk sound fresh and new in 2020 but Bashful have done a magnificent job of this. Definitely a band you need to be keeping an eye on.

Stream and download Driving on Bandcamp here.

Like Bashful on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.