Album Review: Coping Mechanism by Filthy Militia

London ska punks Filthy Militia release their second EP, Coping Mechanism, on the 4th of February with the help of Pookout Records. After a successful Kickstarter campaign last year, the band went into the studio with Oz Craggs at Hidden Track Studios to record five new songs. Because I’m a very special boy, guitarist and lead singer Frosty sent me an early copy. Here are my thoughts.

Coping Mechanism begins with Another Day. The song starts off with a great drum beat before some brass comes in. This gets the EP off to an energetic start. Then the music stops and some upstrokes alongside Frosty’s vocals start – and he’s almost rapping. This is a new thing and I like it. When the chorus comes in I get some strong Call Me Malcolm vibes which isn’t too surprising given that Filthy Militia are fans of the band and Craggs is also their producer. If you enjoy Malcolm then you’ll also enjoy this. The second track is Differences. This song is pure joy contained in four minutes and thirty seven seconds of music and singing. The track is about how everyone is different but that’s what makes each person special and how we should embrace those differences rather than arguing about them. The horns at the beginning put a smile on my face immediately, like I said – they are pure joy. The opening verse keeps things quiet until the chorus comes in and the tempo is raised. The band are definitely embracing the punk part of the ska punk genre more so than they did on their debut EP. It’s also fantastic to hear the band using gang vocals more – they really give the song a fuller sound.

Beatdown sees Filthy Militia slow things down and enter the world of dub. I’ve never heard the band go down this musical path before and it’s nice to see them spreading their musical wings and showing a bit more variety. The track is about coming together and fighting back against the people that try and hold you down. The more restrained nature of the song really drives home the message that the track is spreading. The penultimate song on Coping Mechanism is Land Of The Dead. Picking the tempo back up, Filthy Militia return to their ska punk sound but also add in some gypsy influence. I’ve seen this song live and it certainly has some Gogol Bordello influence to it. It is a very welcome addition to the band’s live set. The final section of the song features a huge chanting section that builds and builds and is a whole lot of fun! The final song on the EP is Don’t You Look Back. The band made and released a lockdown video for the track last year that you should definitely check out. It’s here. This was the perfect choice to bridge the band’s first EP, Innocent Until Proven Filthy, and Coping Mechanism. The track has more of the ska pop sound that can be found on Until Proven but also has the up tempo edge that the band have brought in for this EP. Don’t You Look Back is about chasing your dreams and not worrying about things that have happened previously. A nice positive message to end a nice positive EP.

On Coping Mechanism, Filthy Militia have really stepped things up another level. I really enjoyed Innocent Until Proven Filthy but Coping Mechanism showcases a band who have spent the last few years growing and improving as a band. I expect this EP will earn the band a lot more fans and propel them on to even bigger and better things.

Filthy Militia are hosting an EP launch show at The Black Heart in Camden on Saturday the 12th of February, make sure you get a ticket and pop along.

Check out Coping Mechanism when it is released on 4th of February and, in the meantime, you can find their previous releases on Bandcamp here.

Like Filthy Militia on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Poindexter by Poindexter

Ska! I’m always excited to discover new ska punk bands. Today’s is the eight piece Poindexter who are spread between Detroit, Michigan and Los Angeles. In April, they released their debut three track self titled EP. This was a another discovery on Bandcamp whilst bored during Lockdown. Is there a better way to be spending your time when you’re not allowed outside to play than finding new favourite bands on Bandcamp?

The opening song and our introduction to Poindexter is titled Grounded. Grounded starts slowly with the guitar, bass and drums beginning the song before the brass adds another layer and then Gracie Pryor’s vocals come in. This isn’t your fast paced ska punk that I normally review, nor is it reggae. Poindexter play more of a ska pop style music, allowing you to have a dance without things getting too crazy. Up next is Increment. Again starting slowly and building, there is a subtle sounding guitar riff before the brass comes in and gives the song a bit more life. Poindexter have a four piece brass section which allows the songs to sound huge. Increment really shows off Pryor’s exquisite voice as they belt out the chorus of the song. I also enjoyed the use of gang vocals to trade lines and harmonise with Pryor. The third and final song on the EP is Purgatory. This time beginning with the horns, it’s almost a bit of a sad opening before the drums join and it becomes a bit funky. From then on, the brass gives the song a playfulness that I really enjoyed. Something I noticed throughout the EP is that despite being an eight piece band, the Poindexter sound is still quite minimalistic. Nothing feels overdone and everyone plays their part brilliantly. Purgatory really is a song for the brass section to show off what they can do, with each member getting little solos midway through before finishing the song and EP off with such energy.

Poindexter are a very new band in the scene but clearly have something to offer. They are obviously a talented bunch who can write fantastic ska pop songs. It’s always nice to discover more new ska bands popping up, proving that the genre is still alive and kicking.

Stream and download Poindexter on Bandcamp here.

Like Poindexter on Facebook here.

This review was written Colin Clark.