Album Review: Cuts by One Million Motors

One Million Motors are a four piece alt-punk band from Newcastle in the North of England. They’ve been working hard at their craft for a number of years now and have a handful of tours and releases under their belt. In 2021 they released one of my favourite songs of the year in the form of You’re Not Viable (You Just Don’t Know It Yet) and now they have just released a brand new EP titled Cuts. It features four brand new songs that I was very excited to hear.

The first of the four songs on Cuts is titled They’re Getting Away With This. The opening guitar feels like a siren going off before the rumbling bass line joins the party. It’s not long before the whole band gets involved and we get some explosive vocals. It’s a political song calling for us not to let the people in power get away with all their wrong doings. The song is shorter than a lot of previous One Million Motors songs and certainly packs the punch I suspect they were aiming for. Next is Distractions which again starts with a killer guitar line. This song does go over three minutes long which allows more time to build and grow. Of the four songs on Cuts, Distractions is definitely the most familiar sounding for folk who were already a fan of the band. I’d like to say that the song has some quiet parts and some louder parts but, in truth, it’s more that it’s got some loud parts and some much louder parts – I loved this. Great tune.

ACW was the first song that One Million Motors shared in the build up towards the EP’s release. At just one minute long, it felt like a perfect teaser for what was to come. Starting out with a phone ringing before we blast into a song that manages to pack a lot into its short time frame. I was a bit disappointed that it didn’t go on for longer as it finished just as I felt like it was getting going but it did leave me itching for more. Last up is Know What’s Best. From the beginning of this track I noticed a shift towards a heavier, more fancy guitar riff style for the band. This gives the band a whole new layer to their sound and helps them stand out from many of their contemporaries. It also shows off just what a talented bunch of musicians the folk in this band are. Special nod to the drumming which is first class throughout the whole EP. Despite the heavier sound, the track is packed full of hooks and moments to scream your lungs hoarse too.

Cuts is another fine release from what I think is one of the most exciting newer bands in the UK. If you don’t know One Million Motors yet then now is the time to check them out.

Stream and download Cuts on Bandcamp here.

Like One Million Motors on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Sidesplitter by Sidesplitter (by Emma Prew)

Sidesplitter are a new – very new if you discount the past two years of the pandemic – Melbourne, Australia, based band formed of members of The Eradicator, Foxtrot, Dawn Of The Jackal and The Suicide Tuesdays. The Suicide Tuesdays were one of my absolutely favourite Bandcamp discoveries of the past few years and I was gutted when they decided to call it a day. However, I’m really glad that vocalist and guitarist Joe Guiton has continued to make music, first with Boom! Civil War and now with Sidesplitter.

Joe got in touch with us about reviewing the band’s debut EP and despite describing it as being different to his previous musical outputs – ‘shorter, much louder and screamier’ – I was very keen to check it out. I figured that if it wasn’t quite my cup of tea then someone else at CPRW would be up for reviewing it but… obviously, I loved it so it’s all mine! Although I can’t wait for everyone else to hear this, when it is released to the world on the 1st of April (no joke).

The first of the three tracks is the relentless 49 second long 2020. ‘Screamy’ was certainly a good descriptor, at least for the first half of this short track, but it’s also wonderfully melodic and cathartic. The track is about the dire state of the world at the moment – and, indeed, in 2020 – and how people can be so needlessly selfish just to get their own way or prove their own point. The track may be short but Sidesplitter certainly manage to pack a lot into it, including some brilliant call and response vocals. I can only dream of how good this must sound live. You can watch the slightly longer than 49 second video of 2020 here.

2020 is followed by Heartbeat Of The Underground, a longer (just over two minutes) but no less ferocious hardcore punk track. It’s a what some might think of as a true punk rock song, with lyrics about protesting the system and those who tell us how we should live our lives. It’s angry but it’s also passionate and optimistic about wanting a better world. The chorus in particular is just begging for a crowd to add unofficial gang vocals – ‘An open letter to the ones, Who preach their hate, We lit the fire we tear it down, We liberate, No more spreading lies, To build divide, We don’t need alibis, We'll live our lives the way we want, We choose our fate’.

Just The Way We Are closes out the EP in style. My initial thoughts after listening to the EP for the first time is that this track is the most similar to Joe’s previous bands in that it is a little less ‘hardcore’ but is no less melodic and fist-in-the-air inducing. The track also features Joe’s brilliant storytelling songwriting style which I absolutely love. From the opening lyrics of ‘We watched the sunrise over the city’ through to the second verse ‘The day gets longer, and the drinks get stronger’ and the song’s closing words ‘It’s just the way we are’, this song is an honest and personal one that will be relatable for many. Just The Way We Are is about friendship and confronting the demons that come with adult life with people who care about you by your side. A brilliant way to finish the EP and probably my favourite song I’ve heard so far this year.

As I said earlier, the EP will be released on 1st April – you can preorder it (and listen to 2020) on Bandcamp now. There is also an EP launch show planned for 8th April at The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar, Melbourne, with Udder Ubductees, Von Stache and The Shadow League.

In the meantime, like Sidesplitter on Facebook and check out the band members’ previous work.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Gurnal Gadafi by Gurnal Gadafi (by Emma Prew)

Hardcore isn’t exactly my go-to genre of music but every now and then I do like to delve into the heavier side of punk rock. I especially enjoy it if the person shouting in my ears isn’t your average angry white man – it’s just so much more refreshing. And so that’s why when checking out all of the bands playing at this year’s Manchester Punk Festival, Gurnal Gadafi grabbed my attention – that and their amusing name, of course. Gurnal Gadafi are a four piece based in Manchester, featuring Willy Binghi on drums, Devon Cryer on guitar, Charlie Cross on bass and Cookie Love on vocals, who blend spoken word and poetry with brutal hardcore punk.

At the time of me doing my MPF research (six members of the CPRW team will be each sharing ten picks for the festival next month), the band had only recorded and released one song – the venomous, short and fast Matador. It’s great – go and listen to it here. I soon found out that the band would be releasing their debut EP at the end of February, which I hear has been five years in the making. For me, this meant waiting almost no time at all, but I imagine for Northern folks who have seen Gurnal Gadafi live, this may feel like a long time coming. However, I don’t think anyone will be disappointed with what the band have put together here.

The EP is eight tracks in under 15 minutes although, surprisingly, Matador isn’t one of them. After opening with spoken word piece titled Gary and introducing the EP as being ‘poetic extracts from a time and context long lost in your speakers’, Gurnal Gadafi waste no time in amping up the volume for a ferocious, face-melting series of hardcore bangers about the ills of modern life. Second track, Alexa, is a big hit with me as well as the two parter of Come Down With Me 1 and Come Down With Me 2. The first of the two is a raw, emotional and hard-hitting spoken word piece about, you guessed it, a come down after a wild night (or a series of wild nights). The second is actually the exact same lyrics but set to the heavy music I’ve come to expect from Gurnal Gadafi. Each version hits differently but both are powerful in their own way, showing how expressive and well crafted Cookie Love’s lyrics are. And that goes for tracks about drug use such as Pingers – even though I can’t relate to them, I’m obviously not the target audience – and lady parts, Fire In My Hole, too!

Stream and download Gurnal Gadafi on Bandcamp – if you buy/download it, you’ll be rewarded with a bonus track, as well.

Like Gurnal Gadafi on Facebook and follow them on Instagram, then go and see them when they play MPF. I’ll be standing at the back, trying to avoid getting crushed in the inevitable mosh pit.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: So It Goes by The Butts

The Butts are a pop punk band from Austin, Texas. I’ve been aware of them since the summer of 2019 when they released their Nightmare At Area 51 EP. Now the band are back with a ten song full length titled So It Goes. Lead by the dual vocals of Kurt Koegler and Kevy Bergman, I was hoping for another big slice of fun pop punk from the band. Time to dive right in.

So It Goes begins with the song I’m Getting Old. This, as you probably would have guessed, is a song about ageing. As soon as the song starts there’s this brilliant energy that invites you in to the entire album and I particularly enjoyed the use of the keys in the track. From the outset The Butts show off the dual vocal capabilities as Kurt and Kevy share the opening verse and then combine for the chorus. There’s a feeling of positivity in the song that you don’t often hear in songs about getting older. There’s a message about how no matter all the ways it seems that your body is crumbling, it’s okay that you’re getting old as there’s plenty of things to look forward to. Next up is Ruiner. This track keeps the energy going as Kevy takes over lead vocal duties. Ruiner is about being that person who makes a scene and spoils special occasions with their behaviour, realising that it’s you and wanting to change. The song continues at a high octane throughout the majority of its duration, it only really slows and has a change of melody as Kevy croons one last chorus.

The third song is titled I Wanna Take You To Prague. It’s Kurt’s turn to take lead vocals on this upbeat song about getting their life in order so that they can take their partner to Prague. The hook line of the song’s title really grabs you each time it’s sung and Kurt sings about all the fun things they can do once they get there. It’s not a song that reinvents the pop punk wheel but it does put a smile on my face which is all that matters to me. The Black Tar Heroine was released as a single by the band in December 2021 in the build up to the album’s release. This is a sad song that tells the story of the relationship between a shop worker and an addict. It starts out with the shop worker being on break and the addict coming and asking for some drugs. As the song and story plays out, the worker helps with getting things from the shop before he sees them at their lowest and the last time they meet where the addict is at their worst before getting taken away by an ambulance and is never seen again. Like I said, it’s a sad song but also a great piece of songwriting story telling. Catholic Guilt brings us to the halfway mark of the album. The Butts’ sound takes a bit of a turn on the first half of the track with a slow style that I wasn’t such a fan of but as soon as they bring the tempo back up they pulled me back in immediately. The track is about growing up as a Catholic and the confusion that it seemed to bring Kurt. The song shows the band aren’t afraid to step away from their bread and butter pop punk sound with slower tempos, changing melodies and some acoustic lullabies included. This is such a creative song.

Track six is Instagram Vacation. This song sees Kevy and Kurt share vocals once again, each telling the story of showing off about their lives on social media. I think there’s a lot of tongue in cheek fun poking towards people who post their lives on the Internet, in the hope that people will see what they’re up to and feel jealous. After the serious topics of the previous two tracks, this was a nice palette cleanser with more of a fun, silly song. Outlanders At The George Room is another more serious song. It’s a song about an unfortunate visit to a bar in their hometown that’s run by and is full of racists and homophobes. It doesn’t sound like a pleasant place to spend any time at all. The lyrics do a great job in setting the scene. If you take the time to listen, I think we can all imagine what the place looks like. When I first listened to The Final Text Exchange it hit me hard. The song opens with a audio clip from former president George W. Bush addressing a school shooting. From there, Kevy takes lead vocals and plays the part of a child trapped in the school whilst the horror of a school shooting takes place. During the song they sing the messages that the child sends to their father. Kurt then takes the second verse of the dad replying to his child trying to calm them and give them hope that it’ll be okay. Finally the song finishes with Kevy telling they dad that they got out but which teacher and friend didn’t, before a clip of former president Barrack Obama talking about a school shooting. Having the two different presidents bookending the song shows how this is a problem in the United States that won’t go away and makes the whole scenario even more tragic. This is a really powerful song that should perhaps come with a trigger warning.

The penultimate song is titled No Step On Snek. This is a song that goes on an all out assault against red neck Americans. The ones who have big pick up trucks, guns, love for the president and preach all lives matter. In my head, I’m also imagining them missing some teeth and chewing on a piece of straw. That last image might be because of the harmonica and foot stomping sound used at the end of the song. It’s a fun song that also highlights that there are some rubbish people out there who still need a lot of educating. I can imagine this song being quite the crowd pleaser at a Butts show. The tenth and final song is the album’s title track, So It Goes. At the risk of repeating every review I’ve written over the past six months, the final song on an album needs to be big and The Butts have achieved this. So It Goes is much slower than anything else on the album and really feels like a barroom sing-along. I think each of the verses on the song is sung by a different person and they talk about the rubbish things that happen in their life but how, overall, they are just trying to get on with things. This is the kind of song I could listen to twenty times in a row and find a different cool lyric each and every time. A very fitting way to finish the album.

I was so impressed by So It Goes. The Butts seem to have taken their songwriting to a whole new level here. It’s still a lot of fun but the range of topics that are covered is varied. When I first sat down to listen to it, I did not expect to be emotionally moved by one song let alone two. This is a must listen if you’re a fan of pop punk music.

Stream and downloaded So It Goes on Bandcamp here.

Like The Butts on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Audible Trauma by Loss Of Signal (by Lara Roberts)

“What year is it?” pleads Alan Parrish in the iconic 90s film, Jumanji. “1995, remember?” replies Judy Shepherd. After pressing play on Audible Trauma, I can honestly say that I now know exactly how Alan felt in that moment.

After discovering Blink 182 and Green Day in my early teens, I started to look for similar sounding bands (not using Napster or Limewire, I promise). After some searching and compilation-listening, I found smaller labels and bands including The Ataris and Useless ID, with their albums Anywhere But Here and Bad Story Happy Ending respectively hardly ever leaving my portable CD player. Both of those albums are still two of my all-time favourites, and they both have a certain sound that I can’t quite describe, but it’s a sound of familiarity and nostalgia. As I’ve gotten older and listened to more pop-punk bands of that era, it seems like there was a certain style that the smaller label pop-punk bands had, and it’s a sound that I haven’t heard it since the early 00s. But then I played Loss Of Signal’s debut album Audible Trauma.

As you make your way through this album, the band’s influences will come as no surprise – Blink 182, Green Day, Sum 41. Products Of Our Time opens up with a nod to the NOFX classic Dinosaurs Will Die, leading us on to the single Underdogs. This song really sets the tone for the rest of the album – adorable melodies, sweet harmonies, a catchy chorus, great guitar riffs. For me, this song is a big old calling to Allister’s classic 2002 album Last Stop Suburbia.

For the Blink 182 fans (I see you), Grown Ups will instantly grab your attention with Barker-esque drumming. Then there’s the Delonge-sounding opening riff to Break Out. The vocals on Home are a mixture of self-titled era Hoppus and Delonge. But as clear as the influences are, Loss Of Signal still make the songs their own.

It’s a tale as old as time – songs about love and loss, with a dash of politics (that’s the punk part of pop-punk, of course). If you grew up during the heady days of the golden era of pop-punk – late 90s to the mid 00s – I can’t recommend this album enough. Audible Trauma is an absolute joy to listen to. I found myself reminiscing of my younger years, of friends that I’ve loved and lost. The album reminded me of the excitement I felt when I first discovered the bands that I still listen to and love, even 20 years later. Loss Of Signal know that if something ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Stream and download Audible Trauma on Bandcamp here.

Like Loss Of Signal on Facebook here.

This review was written by Lara Roberts.

Album Review: Self​-​Titled by Creekwood Adjacent

Creekwood Adjacent are a band from Wilmington, North Carolina, who play raw melodic pop punk music. I stumbled upon them thanks to the fine folk at Punk Rock Radar just as they released their self-titled album at the beginning of the year. The first thing that really caught my attention was a superb cover that I’ll get to later but I found the entire record to have a lot of charm.

Giving Up gets the album off to a flying start. Some guitars and drums build the song up before some gruff and raspy vocals kick things off properly. I’m really reminded of early Burnt Tapes with the style. The band are not polished but do capture some raw emotion which I loved. This is a hook filled song that really welcomes you into the album. Adderall You Can Eat opens with a bass line and some vocals that are quite striking. When the whole band comes in, they feel quite muted compared to the vocals. I guess this is to really allow you listen to the track’s lyrics as Creekwood Adjacent sing about using medication to help with your mental health issues and block out the voices in your head.

The third song is named Oblivia. Starting with an obnoxious “one, two, fuck you!” the song is a venom filled song covering the aftermath of a relationship. The rawness of the vocals displays plenty of hurt and emotion but it in no way feels like an ‘emo’ song. White Guy Named Jerome is a song title that really stood out. The song sees Creekwood Adjacent change up their sound slightly. The track begins with some heavier, more shredding like guitars that you might expect in a metal song. When the vocals come in, we’re greeted by the more familiar Creekwood Adjacent sound but the metal style remains in the background. The two styles blend very well together and give the song a unique quality.

The second half of the album starts with Pissing In The Wind. Pissing In The Wind is a simple, catchy punk rock song about how, no matter how hard you try, it feels like you’re always fighting an uphill struggle. A big chunk of the song is the line “pissing in the wind” that’s beautifully harmonised with some “whoa-ohs”. This will certainly be a crowd pleaser. Track six is the crassly titled Shut Your Mouth Before I Fuck It. It’s a bit too aggressive for my liking but it shows the frustration that the band lives with. The song talks about all the nay-sayers in your life and getting away from them. Despite the aggressive song title, the song actually has a positive feeling to it.

The penultimate song is that aforementioned cover song. The Pixies classic Where Is My Mind seems to be a popular song to cover – I saw London ska punks King Punch cover it last year. Unsurprisingly, Creekwood Adjacent deliver a more punky version than the original. The vocals are rawer and the tempo is raised from what we’re used to hearing and the “whoa-ohs” are tailored for a punk rock band. The final track on the album is titled Only On The Weekends. I’m interested to know why the band picked the album’s shortest song to finish the album as usually the final song on the album is reserved for something big. I like Only On The Weekends as a song but did expect something else to finish the album. It’s a fast and straight forward punk song, where the band’s singer laments the mistakes that were made on a weekend and questions was it all their fault?

Creekwood Adjacent show promise on this debut release. It’s a bit raw and rough around the edges but the band clearly know how to write catchy songs and that will only help them as they grow and progress as a band.

Stream and download Self​-​Titled on Bandcamp here.

Like Creekwood Adjacent on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Fuckin' Woo by Flangipanis

If you happened to read my end of year list at the end of 2021 then you might have seen that I included the album Fuckin’ Woo by Flangipanis in it. As most of the readers of CPRW are either based in the UK or America, I suspect that you haven’t heard of the Brisbane, Australia, four piece so I figured I should give the album a proper review. Mostly because it gives me an excuse to spend an afternoon listening to the album again and partly because if more folk in the UK become fans of the band, then there’s more chance they’ll be able to do a UK tour. That would be nice. Fuckin’ Woo is fifteen brand new songs from the band in just twenty-seven minutes and it is the follow up to their excellent Community Backwash EP which was released in 2019.

Brand New Day feels like the perfect choice to start the album and not just because of its title. It’s a bouncy and fun track that has an air of familiarity to it. Perfect for welcoming you into Fuckin’ Woo. Despite the cheerful sound of the song, it’s actually about a much deeper issue regarding mental health. It looks into the positive and negative sides of your thoughts fighting each other and the turmoil that that can leave you in. Flangipanis follow this up with a short hardcore song called Present with the repeating lyric “I hope you like your present cunt.” This is the crass side of Flangipanis that I always get a little kick out of. They can do the deep and meaningful stuff but they’re never afraid to go for the ridiculous and offensive as well. The third song on the album is named Run Away. Run Away is a great example of how to do melodic skate punk music really well. It begins slowly with a gradual build and some “whoa-ohs” that begin to get you hyped. The tempo begins to increase and then Jodie’s killer vocals come in and it’s time to go. I adored the melody on the verses, it hooks you in wonderfully. The band fly through the first half of the song before we reach a breakdown that includes some killer harmonies backing Jodie’s vocals to complete the song.

You Don’t Have To Be A Cunt comes next. I hate the c-word but I couldn’t help but smile when I listened to it. I don’t want to say lyrical genius because that would be silly but the level of word play here is pretty impressive. Definitely not what I was expecting when I first read the title of the song. The track is about being a good person and not a bad person. It’s that simple. I enjoyed the vocal trade offs during the song. It’s fast and has so much energy. Loved it. Next is Good Little Taxpayer. This sees the band step into the world of politics. All of the bouncy fun that was on the first four tracks on the album are gone. This is Flangipanis at their most serious. It’s about all of the wrong doing that governments are doing (I’m sure the band are talking in particular about the Australian government but it certainly works for the UK’s as well) and encourages people to make a stand against them. It’s nice to see the band branch out and write a song about this topic. Worthless is a Flangipanis love song. It’s about not feeling like you have any worth but it’s okay when you’re with someone that you love.

The seventh song on Fuckin’ Woo is named Faking It. This is a ferocious punk rock song with the vocals being jam packed with venom. The song is less than ninety seconds long and is relentless. The use of the second vocalist once again adds to the energy of the song and it also adds some aggression which works really well. This is one of those songs that will really get a mosh pit amped up when the band play it live. Clothes was one of the stand out songs when I first listened to the album. Not only is it ridiculously catchy but it also feels extremely important. It’s about how Jodie used to love taking her clothes off at shows but had to stop because of men being creepy perverts. Jodie goes on to call out those men on the song. I feels like a big feminist anthem. If women want to take their clothes off at shows, they should be able to without men making unwanted sexual advances. Train Ciggie is another short, hard and fast song. It’s simply about not liking when people try and smoke on trains or when people try and spark up conversation. I’m with the band on both of these points. Writing this review I’ve learnt that durrie is an Australian slang word for cigarette – there’s a fun fact for you, for reading this far. The song is finished with a shift in melody where the band slow things down and have a group sing-along of “train ciggie, train ciggie, ciggie on a train.”

Skate sees bass player Paul take over lead vocal duties as Flangipanis skank into the realm of ska punk. This was another stand out and not just because my love of ska punk music. The track tells a story of a love of skateboarding and how when you were younger you would spend all of your free time doing this thing you love with your friends. The lyrics in the song create such a visual story, I’m surprised to see the band haven’t yet made a video for the song. Moving Out is an interesting song as the lyrics for the song were all taken from freepunklyrics.tumblr.com which is a blog that began by two friends writing super clichéd punk lyrics. As I’m listening to the song for a fifth time whilst reviewing it, I think I can also hear the riff from The Offspring’s Self Esteem but I may have just convinced myself in my head – have a listen and decide for yourself. The twelfth song on Fuckin’ Woo is Snacks At The Bar and it’s Jodie’s turn at a ska song. Flanigpanis are joined by the brass section of Blowhard for the song. When I first listened to the album, I was not expecting ska and I certainly wasn’t expecting a four piece horn section to appear and it’s a very welcome surprise. The song is about going out, trying to impress someone and making sure to remember the snacks at the bar. Both verses in the track will have you getting your knees up and having a wonderful time skanking away.

Asshole Aunt is a song about Jodie being a terrible aunt. Throughout the song they list all the reasons that they should not be a role model for the child and it’s equal parts terrifying and hilarious. This is one of those times where Jodie shows what a good lyricist they are even if the song is pretty vulgar. If you have a dark sense of humour then this is a song for you. Not all songs have to change the world and make you think. Sometime you just want to be amused and smile and Asshole Aunt does that for me. The penultimate song on Fuckin’ Woo is titled Perfectly Average. This track talks about being just one of the seven billion people on the planet and constantly feeling as if you’re not making any progress in your life but trying to make the best of it. There’s a nice positive feeling that comes from the song that gives me a great vibes. The fifteenth and final song on the album is Small Talk. I’m big on albums finishing with a bang, especially if they have a lot of tracks like Fuckin’ Woo does and Flangipanis deliver here. The final song is the party that I suspect Flangipanis always bring when they play live. The song starts slowly but quickly shifts into top gear as the band race through the chorus in a full throttle kind of way. The song is about cutting out small talk and just partying like it’s your last night on earth. There are plenty of “whoa-oh” moments and chances for the band’s audience to shout the words back at the band. The perfect way to end an incredible album.

I bloody love Flanipanis. Everything they release makes me really happy. I’m fully aware they won’t be everyone’s pint of pepsi as humour is a very subjective thing, as all art is, but they’re definitely worth taking a chance on. I think you’ll be surprised. The more I listen to it, the more things I find that I think are really important to hear in the current climate. There are songs about mental health, politics, feminism and living your best life. I listen to music because it makes me happy, Flangipanis make me really, really happy. I hope they do for you as well.

Stream and download Fuckin' Woo on Bandcamp here.

Like Flangipanis 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: Waves by Worst Advice

Worst Advice are a four piece from Nuremberg, Germany, who first came to my attention after they were booked to play Hamburg Booze Cruise in 2020. Sadly that festival didn’t get to happen but at least I found a cool band out of it. I really enjoyed their debut EP, Faces, and even got them to appear on a CPRW Records comp last year. On the 11th of January this year, the band released their second EP Waves. Three brand new tracks mastered by Mass Giorgini no less. This was going to sound amazing.

The opening track is named It Feels. Here we have a raspy vocalled pop punk song with a wonderfully uplifting melody running through its core. If this is your first exposure to Worst Advice then this feels like a perfect way to welcome you in. It’s got that punk feel to it but it’s also really accessible thanks to some great hooks. I really enjoyed how the track wastes absolutely no time in getting started. There isn’t really an intro, it just starts and you’re into the song. This allows Waves to get off to a very urgent start. In contrast, the second song Brixton does have an intro that gives the song plenty of energy to begin with. The hectic guitar riff builds up to the opening vocals. They start in a way that I imagine will get many fists in the air. The song is about trying to find your way back to yourself and doing your best not to give up. The listener should definitely find a feeling of catharsis listening to the track. The track remains high in energy throughout the majority of its duration but does have a melody change to ensure things are ended in a big way. The third and final song is titled Escape Plan. On my first couple of listens through of the song, the thing that struck me most was the excellent backing harmonies that appear throughout the song. I’m a big fan of backing harmonies, they add such a great extra layer to a song and allow the listener to latch on to something without having to learn all the words. The song doesn’t really have the same urgency or energy of the other two tracks on Waves but does feel like it takes you on more of a journey. Of the three songs on Waves, Escape Plans feels like the perfect one to make a music video for. A fun way to finish the EP.

Waves is an excellent follow up release for Worst Advice. It sees them growing and improving as a band. Fingers crossed that they will be back on the Booze Cruise line-up this year so I can finally see them play live.

Stream and download Waves on Bandcamp here.

Like Worst Advice on Facbook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: ABCD by Melanie

During the great summer lockdown of 2020 I found myself with a lot of time to search through Bandcamp discovery checking out new bands. An absolute favourite of mine was New Zealand’s jangly indie pop punk band Melanie. I absolutely loved their debut album, 42 Losers, it even found a place into my top ten of the year. In 2021, they released 42 Losers on vinyl and I would hazard a guess that I am the only person in the UK who owns it (thanks largely to the band very kindly helping me out with shipping costs). On January 26th of this year, Melanie release a brand new four track EP titled ABCD. I was very keen to see how the band follows up 42 Losers.

ABCD kicks off with All Talk, No Trousers. I’m always a sucker for a quiet introduction that leads into a big explosion and that’s exactly what Melanie do here. What is extra enjoyable about this intro though is the urgency that James Dentice sings with. This urgent tempo remains throughout the song and keeps you hooked. The song is about not living up to the standards you set yourself and the feelings that that brings. Next up is the EP’s lead single, Brains. If you haven’t checked out the excellent video for this song then you can do so here. On my first listen of the song it was obvious why Melanie picked this song for the first single. The track starts loudly, really grabbing you, before James’ vocals come in and offer a more melodic path for the song to travel down. James’ vocals do a magnificent job in telling a story and taking you along for the ride. It’s about the struggle of not fitting in and feeling as if you are being held down by oppressive people. As the song continues, the emotion and anguish becomes stronger, really adding to the turmoil that the character is going through.

The penultimate track is titled Cold Feet. The emotion is turned up to eleven to start the song, grabbing the listener’s attention in a different way. There’s a lot more crunch to the song than on the previous two tracks with Joe Gasparich’s drumming really standing out, powering the song forward. James demonstrates that he is equally adept in the shouting style of singing as well the more melodic side. There is a guitar solo midway through the song that is either played by James or the band’s other guitarist, Robin Davey Rusk, that shreds as well as any technical skate punk band does. A Wilhelm Scream would be very pleased with it. ABCD is completed with Delivery Boy, the only track on the EP to go over three minutes (and two for that matter). There’s so much going on in this song. It starts with James doing his best Kristopher Roe impression before the whole band come in with a plodding beat and some big gang vocals. Then, without warning, the tempo is upped and we get to the main portion of the track. I’d say this is the most uptempo of the four tracks on ABCD and also one of the catchiest. It won’t be long until it gets stuck in your head, that’s for certain. As the track begins to wind down, the tempo comes down slightly and we are treated to a grand finale outro that is just epic. A very fitting way to finish the song and the entire EP.

If ABCD doesn’t place very highly in my favourite EPs of 2022 then it’s been the best year for new music ever. I seriously encourage every single one of you reading this review to go and check out Melanie. One, because they’re a seriously good band who deserve your attention and, two, so they can gain a massive UK fanbase so that they can come tour over here and I can finally see them. Thanks.

Follow Melanie’s Bandcamp here, ready for when ABCD is released.

Like Melanie on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Bad Press by Captain Accident & The Disasters (by Theo Martin-Herbert)

An absolute belter for ska and reggae fans here. Captain Accident and The Disasters have recently put out a meditation on modern life, opening up with a slow track that winds its way into your brain, welcoming the end of the world and asking you to dance while everything burns. This invitation sets up the tone for the rest of the album, mulling over how we got here and how we can keep things positive now that we are here.

The album has a great pace throughout, slowly beckoning you over to come and listen before picking up the pace. Couple that with some fantastic guitar work throughout – great lead lines permeate the experience, really accentuating and complimenting the songs with added textures and hooks. The production too is crisp and clean, every stab coming through with a great vocal sound as well, so definite props are deserved for that! Overall, Captain Accident have crafted something special for all you ska and reggae fans out there – give it a listen and enjoy the end of the world.

Stream and download Bad Press on Bandcamp here.

Like Captain Accident & The Disasters on Facebook here.

This review was written by Theo Martin-Herbert.

Album Review: Funeral Pop by Vampire Slumber Party (by Theo Martin-Herbert)

This one man solo project has put out a pretty fantastic example of pop-punk for all your ears; a personal, catchy and slick debut effort that calls back on the memories of your favourite pop punk band's best days. Opening up hard with a big, anthemic number, the release keeps up the pace, putting out something that really hits a good rhythm and is perfect for a late summer release. I was genuinely impressed at how well the track listing went together, hearing some of the songs out of order really showed how well the album has been thought out and laid out for the listener.

The sound reflects an early 2000s era Blink 182 record to my ears, which I love. The polished, low-mid heavy with a bright edge sound lets the guitars really fill up the space and keep an interesting high end to keep that energy up, along with a lot of almost duelling guitar lines snaking their way in and out of each other. This all adds up to give some great texture and depth to the songs that reward repeat listens, something you'll definitely be doing with this record. Also it's refreshing to see something bouncy and energetic ending the album, giving you something to hum away until you can put it back on repeat. Definitely give this one a listen and I can't wait to see what Yusuf Laher comes up with next if this is anything to go by.

Stream and download Funeral Pop on Bandcamp here.

Like Vampire Slumber Party on Facebook here.

This review was written by Theo Martin-Herbert.

Album Review: Diverse Reality (Countdown to Pharmageddon 3) by Paranoid Visions (by Rich Bailey)

Dublin-based Paranoid Visions rode in on the second wave of punk around 1982 and followed more in the footsteps of anarcho-punks like Crass, Flux of Pink Indians and Poison Girls than typical UK ’82 bands along the lines of The Exploited, Anti Nowhere League or Chron Gen. They’ve had many personnel changes over the years and had some great guest vocalists – especially Steve Ignorant; and distributed many EPs, LPs and split singles, most of which have had limited releases on their own FOAD label (I’ll leave you to work out what the acronym stands for!). ‘Diverse Reality’ is the third long player that loosely links the two previous releases under the additional guise of Pharmageddon parts 1, 2 and 3 – namely Adverse Reality, Corona-Verse Reality and this one.

Alphabetty Spaghetti starts with a thudding bassline and a jangly, trebly guitar riff with a litany of guest vocalists (including TV Smith of Adverts, UK Sub Charlie Harper, Steve Ignorant of Crass, Segs from The Ruts and John Robb – Membranes & Goldblade – as well as journo from Louder Than War) reciting letters from the alphabet. The remainder of the song is a punked up version of “A is for …, B is for …, C is for …” etc. etc. I can pretty much guarantee you haven’t heard anything like this before!

Once Bitten Twice Shite is a short, punchy song that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Dead Kennedy’s Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables album; the vocal style is certainly reminiscent of Jello Biafra.

Solidarnosc 21 charts the rise of the far right in Poland whilst lamenting the demise of Lech Welesa: “Lech Welesa’s been forgotten, now the jackboots start to march; for a land that fought for freedom, to a land that lives in chains”. A great post-1989 Eastern European History lesson.

A&E, IOU (Irritable Vowel Syndrome) is a minute and half poem about a two tier health system (remember, this is a band from Ireland where the NHS doesn’t exist) that only helps the rich and insured “I’m sick and it’s not funny, and the Doctor knows it’s true; I’m in Accident & Emergency, and they don’t take IOU”. Reminds me of one of John Cooper Clarke’s more bleak recitals.

Stealing the Sun is quite a mellow number about living the best life you can whilst the world around you turns to shit. The opening bassline is very Stranglers-esque and the vocal and guitar arrangement evokes Magazine.

Alarm Clocks is a metronomic track about how everyone’s lives have become so timetabled and regulated that they can be depended upon to basically tell us what the hour is at any given time. Robotic and hypnotic; a true ‘wake up call’ (!).

The second longest song on the LP, Art Is A Hammer, is a lament about how safe art has become; it’s no longer a cutting edge medium that asks questions of the viewer, it’s just become safe and stale and shocking for the sake of it whilst trying to maximise profits and income for all involved. The vocal style is bored and humdrum to reflect what the band thinks art – in all its forms – has become.

Life No More is a pedestrian, straight forward track about the persistent lying of the “Welfare bastards and undeserving well-to-dos” with a great guitar solo in the middle section.

Another spoken word track, Times And Ages is a story from cradle to grave where time watches on unconcerned and unsympathetic as people go about their lives constantly clock watching.

Shepherd’s Warning is a classic example of what anarcho-punk is all about; dual vocals, pounding rhythm section and political lyrics – reminiscent of later outputs by The Mob.

The album closer and longest song Home Alone Forever has a gothic feel and reminds me of early solo Nick Cave. It’s a repetitive, poignant story about dying alone at the end of a long – and not necessarily healthy – life. “Alone, alone, alone, alone, forever; I’m alive but I’m dead inside, and if I die I will not cry … I breathe through these damn machines”.

This is an album that needs to be focused on; a little like a damned good novel.

Stream and download Diverse Reality (Countdown to Pharmageddon 3) on Bandcamp here.

Like Paranoid Visions on Facebook here.

This review was written by Rich Bailey.

Album Review: Saccharine by Pinkshift

Pinkshift are a four piece band featuring Ashrita Kumar, Paul Vallejo, Myron Houngbedji and Erich Weinroth who are from Baltimore, Maryland. They first came to my attention in 2020 thanks to a Facebook group and immediately impressed me with their take on punk rock and grunge. In April of 2021 the band released their debut EP, Saccharine, which features five heavy hitting tracks.

 

The opening track on Saccharine is titled Mars. This song is three minutes and forty-five seconds of solid melodic punk rock. The track fades in to start which allows the listener to get ready for what’s about to come. Once we get to full volume there’s already a feeling of energy surrounding the song before Ashrita Kumar’s exceptional vocals come in. They do a super job of grabbing your attention and taking you through the song, displaying some excellent range along the way. These vocals are backed exceptionally by the rest of the band, with a guitar solo really standing out. On Thin Ice begins with a simple drum beat that’s played before the vocals come in. Something I noticed on my first listen of the song was the way that it seemingly switches up melodies throughout the song. This is such an effective way of retaining the listener’s attention throughout. Despite being less than three minutes long Pinkshift manage to pack a huge amount into the song and by the time we reach the finale I was exhausted, but in the best way possible.

I’m Gonna Tell My Therapist On You was the lead single for Saccharine. Coming at you like a bullet, this is a hugely energetic and in your face track – it’s very obvious why this song was picked as a single. Pinkshift’s grunge influences shine through on the song, alongside a poppy, hook filled chorus completed with some delightful “ooooh-ooh” harmonies. The song looks at how being in a bad relationship can affect your mental health and the spiralling effect that can take place. The penultimate song is Toro. Despite only being ninety seconds long, Pinkshift pack a lot into the track. It starts out at a frantic pace that I imagine is very exciting when they play live. Ashrita sings about having someone in their head and knowing the problems it causes. As we reach the halfway point of the song, Toro changes gears and switches into a longer musical interlude which has some chilled vibes. This interlude serves as a long introduction to the final song Rainwalk. I’ve often talked about the importance of the final track on a release sounding huge and I think it’s clear listening to the track that Pinkshift agree with me. Not only is the song an EP closer, it also feels like it could be the set closer for the band. There’s so much going on I can’t mention it all but I will say it maintains the energy that the band have showcased throughout Saccharine and it really shows off just how skilled the band are. This is without a doubt a song that I wish I could be in a rowdy mosh pit for. It’s a song that deserves one.

I definitely feel like it’s only a matter of time until Pinkshift are a band on the lips of punk rockers all over the world. Based on Saccharine, it’s very clear that they have a very bright future ahead of them and could become one of the most important bands in the genre.

Stream and download Saccharine on Bandcamp here.

Like Pinkshift on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: A Beginner's Guide by Making Friends

Since London/Brighton skate punks FastFade split in 2019, lead singer and guitarist Ryan Mansell has been a very busy man. Not only did he start emo punks Maisonette, who have a new EP due to be released on INiiT Records in the future, he also formed a new skate punk band named Making Friends. Back in May the four piece, which also features Daniel Farrell, Bill Laken and Pete Thomas, released a second EP titled A Beginner’s Guide. Unsurprisingly, the EP’s four songs clock in at just eight and a half minutes so expect some fast and short songs ahead. For me, that’s how I enjoy my skate punk so I’m quite looking forward to listening to this.

The EP starts with Goodbye Forever. The song starts how you might expect a skate punk song to start – there is a pounding drumbeat driving the song forward and a technical guitar riff that really catches your ear. When Ryan’s vocals come in the music drops out, I really liked this as it made me really listen to what was being said. From there the song continues along the traditional skate punk route. Ryan’s vocals feel urgent and are backed by some great harmonies. I loved the switch towards the end of the song when Goodbye Forever jumps into a moody emo style. I didn’t see it coming and it’s a fantastic surprise. The second track is titled Happy Complaint. This track starts out slower than the previous one with a bass line opening proceedings before being joined by the rest of the band. The drums in particular give the song a high tempo feel but the vocals contrast this brilliantly with a more melodic style that again really catches your attention. Midway through the song a great guitar solo comes in to give the song an extra dimension before the song finishes in a more urgent fashion.

Early Grave is a bit of a throwback to Ryan’s previous work with FastFade. There’s that big Captain Everything influence in the guitars and it feels as if Making Friends have really raised the tempo. The track is about trying to run away and escape your problems, something we’ve all wanted to do at some point. It’s great to hear a band like Making Friends who are in their early twenties tackle mental health in a song. The song has a brilliant feeling of catharsis during the finale with a big sing-along of “why should I pick up the pieces, when I could just run away, can I take these useless feelings, with me to my early grave.” The final song on A Beginner’s Guide is titled Ant. The song is not even ninety seconds long but seems to pack a huge amount into it. The tempo and melodies are all over the place on the song, continually keeping you guessing what’s next? I feel like a song like this just shouldn’t work but Making Friends have impressively made it work. Ant is about having a friend who brings you down and stepping away from that relationship.

What I really loved about this EP was how fresh it sounds. Making Friends take the skate punk genre and breathe new life into it with a variety of styles and influences. Big things are clearly on the horizon for the band.

Stream and download A Beginner's Guide on Bandcamp here.

Like Making Friends on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

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: Bigger Than Today by Becker

Becker are a three piece band from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The band have been together since 2018 and have released a couple of EPs. Their latest, and the subject of this review, came out in January 2021. Titled Bigger Than Today, the EP features five fresh sounding pop punk songs that explore life as a thirty something.

 

First up is Psycho Therapy. My very first thoughts when I listened to the track were that Becker had a bit of a throwback sound that has been brought to 2021. I can easily imagine this being released by Lookout Records or Honest Dons twenty years ago. Psycho Therapy starts with a familiar melody that ensures you’re hooked in immediately and are keen to see where the song goes. The song is played at a mid tempo which really allows the listener to get a grasp of what the track is about. The track looks at admitting that you are struggling mentally and asking for help. This is a subject that I am very passionate about. Suicide is such a big killer of men in their thirties and so many lives could be saved just by talking, so much love to Becker for opening with such an important song. Next is Thank You For Not Smoking. This track starts with a nice rumbling bass line and drum beat that builds into the vocals. Becker pick the pace up on this track and squeeze a lot into the one minute and thirty second duration. The chorus is the stand out moment of the entire song for me, as the band compares their own lives to people who are perceived to be doing better.

Regarding Reggie has a slow, methodical intro that jumps into a faster paced moment. Adam Nohe’s bass is really allowed to shine throughout the song, it’s basically a lead bass line throughout the majority of the track. This track is about feeling lonely and looking at what has happened in your life to lead you to that particular moment. Much like the previous song, Becker do a superb job of squeezing a lot in to a song that is less than two minutes long. The penultimate song on the EP is Man Plans, God Laughs. This shows off a much slower and, dare I say, more grown up side of Becker. The four minute long song seems like a meticulously thought out track where the three piece somehow manage to make their sound huge. Layered guitars, pedal effects, heavy bass tones, pounding drums – it’s all in there. Man Plans, God Laughs is about how all the dreams you have as a child can come crashing down and how rubbish that is. The final song on Bigger Than Today is named Elder Hostile. I was interested to find out what this song what would like after the epic nature of Man Plans, God Laughs. I felt like it needed to be big to follow on from that. Becker return to their familiar sound to finish the EP. It’s faster paced and ensures that we finish with a lot of energy. The guitars buzz throughout the track, as the vocals do most of the work whilst carrying the melody. Towards the end of the song things get quiet and then begin to build to a big finale of whoa-oh gang vocals that will no doubt encourage a live audience when they get to play these songs live.

Bigger Than Today features four great power pop songs and one epic, emotional banger. As someone who is in their mid thirties and has often compared themselves to what other people are doing, I really found a lot of the subject matter extremely relatable and I’m sure a lot of people reading this will do so as well. If you loved bands such as Squirtgun and Nerf Herder, I really think you’re going to enjoy Becker.

Stream and download Bigger Than Today on Bandcamp here.

Like Becker on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Tyler Moes by Madam Fatale

Madam Fatale are a three piece band from Sydney, Australia. I first came across them thanks to Punk Rock Radar on Instagram (I seriously recommend following that page) and I stuck them on a playlist of bands to check out. When they came on I was instantly impressed with their old school Green Day-esque style of punk rock and they quickly found their way on to my review pile. In February, they released their debut album Tyler Moes. I was impressed with the fact that they decided on a twelve track album for their debut release rather than an EP. This, to me, shows a lot of ambition. Is it good though? Yes, that’s why I’m reviewing it. But what do I think is good about it? Read on to find out.

Tyler Moes begins with Are You Bored? Madam Fatale kick the album off with a track about being the second child and getting the feeling that you don’t belong. From the opening vocals you can hear the Green Day comparison I made in the introduction but, aside from the vocals, musically this almost feels more like Billie Joe Armstrong fronting an indie band and it works fantastically. The second song, Church Street, is the track that really made Madam Fatale stand out for me. The opening guitars have a great pop punk sound that really gives you a feeling of what’s about to come. It’s a mid-tempo and melodic song about an acquaintance of the band that only brings bad times to all they meet and wanting to get away from them. This is an extremely catchy song that quickly finds a home in your head. Given that the third track, Girl Of A Thousand Names, is less than two minutes long I initially expected to the song to be a speedy number. It does pick up the pace, but it’s not the blistering punk bullet that I expected. It actually starts quite slowly before getting into a steady pace for the majority of the song. Its high point come when we hit the line “she’s the girl of a thousand names.”

Screen Gun Girl starts off in a solemn fashion. It’s a break up song, with the band’s lead singer Luke Bindoff realising the mistakes they made that ultimately ended the relationship and wishing they could reconcile. The song shifts melodies during its second half. The second half feels like it could be a big sing-along at a live gig. I was a bit surprised that they didn’t make more use of potential gang vocals but I guess, given the nature of the song, it would feel a bit out of place. The fifth song, Out Of My Mind, is another stand out track on Tyler Moes. There is that great, bratty pop punk style that made us fall in love with the genre many, many years ago. There is an immediate sing-along quality to Out Of My Mind that will draw people in and the theme of the song will be relatable to many of us. It’s about falling for someone and convincing yourself that they feel the same even when they possibly don’t. Bad Mistake brings us to the halfway point of the album. This song is about living life whilst constantly getting things wrong. In reality, this should be a really sad song but there is a joy in this song. I guess that it is cathartic for Luke to sing about this, perhaps getting a feeling of frustration off of their chest. I can see this being a fan favourite for the band.

The second half of Tyler Moes sees Madam Fatale take things in a much different direction. Parramatta Girls has more of a rock ‘n’ roll/rockabilly style to it that adds some freshness to the album. As the song progresses there is a moment where things get a bit darker but, for the most part, the track sticks to that rockabilly style. The simple chorus is one that will get stuck in your head for days and days. Toothpick is a slower and more emotional sounding track. The opening verses feature these cool jangly emo guitar tones before the chorus jumps into a more traditional pop punk style. The song looks at the loss of a friend and struggling to deal with that. It’s a much sadder song than anything else on the album so far, so you can understand the slower style that’s going on. I Want My Mummy Back is another slow and sad song. I’m sure you’ve guessed from the song’s title that it’s about wanting your mum to come back. Despite not having a lot of different lyrics, the track is over four minutes long. There is perhaps an argument that the song doesn’t need to be as long as it is but I kind of feel like the repetitive nature of the track adds a lot more emotion and sadness which is portrayed throughout.

The tenth track continues the slower style that Madam Fatale have adopted over the last few tracks. It’s a five minute long, fuzzy, shoegaze style. Musically the song is extremely haunting with Luke’s vocals really shining throughout. The subtleness of the guitar, bass and drums really add to the song. Josh Bishop’s drums are absolutely fantastic and do a brilliant job of not only giving the song a strong spine but also building things up for Luke’s voice to get a bit more intense. The penultimate song is titled Longlands Road. Beginning with just guitar and vocals (something I always enjoy), Josh tells a tale of leaving home. The full band comes in soon enough and really fleshes out the song but I was slightly disappointed this didn’t really increase the tempo of the song. I felt like it could really explode into life for a great sing-along as it’s another song that I’m sure so many people listening to the album will relate too. The final song on Tyler Moes is Besiege Me. This song was originally released as a single by the band in March of 2020. Besiege Me is an acoustic song that also includes some strings. I loved the addition of the strings – they give the song so much extra depth. Perhaps fittingly, this is a sad break up song to finish the album off. The stripped back sound really adds to the emotion of the entire song. Lyrically, it’s quite simple. This will really add to the emotional output of the song as it will hit more people immediately. A great way to finish the album.

I’m consistently coming across fantastic Australian bands and Madam Fatale are certainly another to add to the list. They have quite a unique sound that could see them fit under a few punk and indie umbrellas. This could see them get a big fanbase extremely quickly into their career and I suspect (if the world has finally been fixed by then) to see their name on festival line ups in the UK and Europe over the next few years.

Stream and download Tyler Moes on Bandcamp here.

Lke Madam Fatale on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Sgt. Scagnetti vs Hans Gruber And The Die Hards Split

I do love a split. I especially like them when one you get to discover a band that you never knew before. This was the case on the new split release by Sgt. Scagnetti and Hans Gruber And The Die Hards. I’ve been aware of Hans Gruber And The Die Hards for a few years now but I’ve never heard of Sgt. Scagnetti. I was keen to check them out. The split is only three songs long, one from the Sgt. Scagnetti and two from Hans Gruber.

 

Sgt. Scag (as they are often known) were actually an active band in the North East of America in the late nineties. They were known for their fun and unpredictable live shows. Like many bands from the era, they split in the earlier 2000s but have played a couple of reunion shows in recent years as well as releasing some new singles. Their appearance on this split is a great way to introduce themselves to the new era of ska punk fans. Sgt. Scag’s song on the split is titled Cultination. This is a great introduction to the band for anyone, like me, who is listening to them for the first time. It begins with quite a lengthy brass-fuelled introduction before lead singer Steve’s soulful vocals come in. The opening verse has a great call and response section between Steve and the rest of the band that really hooked me in. This is all played at a nice, mid-tempo pace before the band speed things up for the chorus. So much goes on in this song with changes in tempo and melody but the band seamlessly blend it together so it never feels stop/start. As the song finishes there are some great gang vocals and harmonies and ensure the song ends with a bang. The track is about the Internet influencing children to become mindless robots and how that’s a bad thing.

The first of Hans Gruber And The Die Hards’ songs is titled You’re Being Watched. The Texan outfit are one of the more unique and creative bands to come out of the USA ska scene. The track is about the paranoid feeling of being watched and trying to convince people that you’re not going crazy. The song starts with a very traditional ska punk style. The saxophone playing gets the song off to a fun start before the vocals come in and the song goes off in a completely different style. Vocally you would probably find more similar bands in the crust punk world, with some venomous singing going on. There is a slight change again for what I guess is the chorus, where a vocal that sounds like MC Bat Commander from The Aquabats come in. So much is going on and I love it. Hans Gruber’s second track is named Medical Advice. The track is largely instrumental except with occasional lines being shouted over the top. The lyrics touch upon the medical advice that has been given to the world during the past year such as staying at home, wearing masks and avoiding seeing vulnerable loved ones. There are some moments of anger and moments of sarcasm in these lines, they create quite an interesting dynamic and often make you think. This is such a skankable song and has a really catchy tune that will quickly earn a place in your head.

I really enjoyed this split. It features some old and new school style ska punk so it has something for everybody and is well worth checking out. It’s less than 8 minutes long and is a lot of fun.

Stream and download the split on Bandcamp here or here.

Like Sgt. Scagnetti on Facebook here and like Hans Gruber And The Die Hards here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.