Album Review: Uncle Dan by Uncle Dan (by Emma Prew)

Uncle Dan are a five-piece band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, playing a brand of punk rock that they call ‘Drunk Punk’. At the end of October they released a new five-track self-titled EP which caught my attention on Bandcamp.

The EP kicks off with Wasted, Too and a distinct drum roll type introduction. When the vocals come in they are are pretty gruff and rough around the edges which works well alongside the fuzzy guitars. It’s certainly not a polished sound but that is fine by my. I have to say, I was not expecting the trumpet that comes into play about halfway through the song and lead into a chunky bass line before the vocalist screams ‘I just wanna go back’ over and over again. Wasted, Too is a nostalgic and reflective song and a fine opening to the record. The macabre titled My BFF Death is up next. Despite beginning gently and slowly, you can tell that Uncle Dan are about to explode with this song. When the song does kick off properly, it’s fast paced and ferocious as the band sing ‘I wanna burn, wanna burn, Wanna melt into a puddle, You can turn me to stone, And smash me into rubble’. With lyrics about wanting to die and death being ‘a friend of mine’, it’s certainly not the most optimistic of songs but it does seem like it’s pretty cathartic for the band to sing and play.

I loved the opening of third track, Parking Lot Seagulls. Gang vocals accompanied by drums is definitely a great way to grab the attention of your listener. If I didn’t have the lyrics in front of me (thank you, Bandcamp) I’d probably struggle to understand exactly what is being sung as it’s so fast. As if to deliver its message home, the first verse is repeated twice – ‘Empty bellies, empty pockets, Yeah, we're hungry and broke, And we're barely making money, We're just staying afloat, Take a drag and make it last, ’Cause its our last pack of smokes, Yeah, whatever man I'll see you at the show.’ The musical delivery is a bit garage punk in style, perhaps not too dissimilar to The Hives but much more raw and DIY – and that’s what this song is about, being in a DIY punk band. Probably the highlight of the EP for me – it even features a heavily distorted guitar solo.

Humble Abode has a seemingly slow start but both the volume and pace soon pick up. You may be able to guess from the song’s title but Humble Abode is about welcoming someone into your home to drink beer and order in food. What I didn’t expect from the song however was a section of the lyrics to be in Spanish. Uncle Dan are full of surprises on this EP and, as if to cement that theory, they bring back the trumpet and proceed to play a sort of mariachi meets almost metal section at the end of the song. It’s pretty bizarre but I also really like it. The final song of the EP is called A Feathered Friend (A Living Dinosaur). Like Humble Abode, this song also has a slow start but this time the slower pace continues through the first verse. The pace picks up for the chorus where the vocals verge on screaming before slowing down again for the second verse. The contrast works really well and add plenty of emotional impact to the song. If I’m interpreting the lyrics correctly, A Feathered Friend is not so much about a feathered friend as it is about a woman who feels caged like a bird. It’s a pretty angry song and ends the EP with a bang.

Uncle Dan was another great little Bandcamp discovery for us here at CPRW and, if you like your punk rock a little raw, you should definitely check them out too.

You can stream and download the EP on Bandcamp here and like Uncle Dan on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Gig Review: Codename Colin’s Halloween Party at Oddfellows Arms, Hemel Hempstead 1/11/19

Considering that we don’t actually live in London, Colin and I only occasionally go to gigs that aren’t in the big smoke. Last Friday however we ventured less than 40 miles to Hemel Hempstead which is, of course, the home of Codename Colin. We’d never been to the venue or town before (Colin actually said he’d only heard of the place since knowing the band – I’m from Milton Keynes so I know it as being on the trainline to London) so it would be interesting to see what a gig there was like. There was also the added lure of top ska punk bands Filthy Militia and Last Edition plus local pop punkers Saving Sebastian, as well as the fact that the gig was Halloween themed – any excuse to wear my skeleton dress. We arrived fairly early and found the Oddfellows Arms, a small live music pub in the Apsley area of Hemel Hempstead, suitably decked out for Halloween and already reasonably busy. 

Filthy Militia were the first band on and, despite having some trouble with trains out of London and arriving later than they’d have liked, they quickly embraced their role as opening band to get the room moving. It’s somehow been over a year since we saw Filthy Militia (despite seeing singer and guitarist Frosty regularly at the New Cross Inn), so we were particularly looking forward to their set. Joined by Snowy from Codename Colin on trumpet, Filthy Militia played a brilliant set comprised of tracks from their 2018 EP, Innocent Until Proven Filthy, such as Storm Warning and Little Sister, as well as some new songs – notably one about ‘everyone’s favourite zombie’, Jesus. We were also treated to a rendition of Monster Mash which, obviously, got the Oddfellows Arms singing and dancing. The evening was off to a great start, that’s for sure.

The pub was starting to pack out a bit more by the time the second band were due on stage. It turns out that Saving Sebastian are rather popular in their hometown and we soon understood why. The four-piece’s brand of pop punk isn’t normally the sort of thing I’d listen to but there’s no denying that these chaps know how to put on a fun live performance. It’s full of all the banter and jokes you’d expect from a pop punk band – plus one of their members was dressed like Geri of the Spice Girls – including when they said they were going to play a Blink 182 song and proceeded to play Linoleum by NOFX. Other than the cover, their setlist consisted of tracks from their two EPs with a particular highlight being Hometown, for obvious reasons, from this year’s Minefield EP. We’ve seen Saving Sebastian twice before, at the New Cross Inn, but I think I enjoyed them more in their home setting.

Leicester’s Last Edition are one of my favourite ska punk bands in the UK at the moment and so I was understandably rather eager to see them play again – even if they were the band of the line-up that we’d seen most recently. All ska punk bands are fun live but there’s something about Last Edition that makes me want to dance that little bit harder. It’s probably those wonderfully infectious sax lines but it might also have something to do with how much fun the band seem to be having when they perform. Tracks such as This One, Last Orders and the instrumental Skank Only from their 2016 album, Best Foot Forward, were well received alongside some new as yet unreleased songs. One thing that’s for certain is that I can’t wait for them to release their next EP or album. Vocalist and guitarist Matty mentioned at one point that Last Edition have spent their last two Halloween weekends playing with Codename Colin so it was nice to be there for the third time.

Many alcoholic beverages later (not for me, I was driving), it was finally time for Codename Colin to take to the stage. Filthy Militia, Saving Sebastian and Last Edition had got the audience suitably warmed up but I expected that Codename Colin would take things to the next level. Opening their set with a statement about how we were supposed to have left the EU on the 1st of November and, singer and guitarist, Charlie proclaiming ‘We love Europe’ before bursting into the beginning of The Final Countdown was just perfect. The song had the crowd singing and dancing from the very start and it didn’t relent when the band moved onto their own songs. The band, who are now a five-piece, were joined by their ex-saxophone player Sam who no longer lives in the UK (I can’t recall if it was Sweden or Switzerland that he’s moved to!) making Codename Colin a six-piece for one night only. This was our first time seeing Codename Colin in any shape or form since they released their excellent debut album, Escape From Everything, in June this year. We’ve listened to the album a lot at CPRWHQ so it was great to hear and sing along to my favourites from the album including World’s Gonna End – a song that feels increasingly more apt as the days go by – and Dreamstate. As well as their killer original songs, Codename Colin are rather good at covers as already displayed with their opening song. Having seen the band cover a variety of pop and rock songs over the years, my absolute favourite has to be Feeder’s Just A Day. Throwing it into their Halloween party set was definitely a good idea as the crowd lapped it up – I guess turns out us punks really like early 2000s indie rock. We also enjoyed Codename Colin’s rendition of Five’s Keep On Movin’ perhaps a little too much. The band played for over an hour, with some breaks in between songs to hand out prizes and allow Charlie’s vocals to recover, but it flew by. Finishing up with Escape From Everything, the album of the same name’s closing track, we were all left with smiles on our faces.

I didn’t know what to expect from a gig in Hemel Hempstead but it was an excellent night. Should the opportunity arise, we will certainly be returning to Oddfellows Arms – particularly if Codename Colin are playing.

This gig review was written by Emma Prew. (Rubbish photography also by Emma.)

Top Tens: Ten Bands Colin Would Love To See Reform

Last week the alternative music world was awash with My Chemical Romance and Rage Against The Machine announcing that they will be reuniting in the future. That got me thinking about bands I'd like to see get back together, whether it be properly or just for some special one off shows. This, of course, calls for a top ten list. Read on below.

Bangers
I think it's fair to say that Cornish three-piece Bangers were a very important part in the renaissance of DIY punk rock in the UK. It came with a great shock and a lot of sadness when they split up in 2016. They were known for playing melodic pop punk music with one of the most distinctive vocals in the scene thanks to Roo Pescod. Never afraid to try something different, Bangers would be welcomed back with open arms if they did decide to ever get back together. Fingers crossed they do!

Fletcher
Fletcher frontman Lee recently put out some re-recordings of some Fletcher songs under the name of his new band Lee Resistant And The Lost so, in a way, the former London based four piece are back. However, I'd be so happy to see them back as Fletcher. Listening back to their final album My Revenge now, it's timeless. It arguably fits better into the current crop of gruff punk rock than it did in 2003. I wish I could get down the front and shout along to these songs just one time.

Anti Vigilante
With the return of Random Hand and ClayPigeon in recent times, the next big ska punk reunion the scene needs has got to be Anti Vigilante. I saw Anti Vigilante so many times during 2012/2013, a time where I started to really go to gigs on a regular basis, that when they decided to call it a day it felt like a big loss. Live was when they were at their very best, playing with a hyperactive energy and power that few bands could replicate.

Arrogant Sons Of Bitches/Bomb The Music Industry
This is a bit of a cheat entry as it's two bands in one. But they're both Jeff Rosenstock’s former bands and both would get very excited reactions if reunions were ever announced. The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches were Jeff's first breakthrough band playing high energy ska punk. An ASOB reunion would send us ska fans into meltdown. Bomb The Music Industry were the band that put Jeff in the punk rock spotlight with his relentless DIY attitude. Stepping away from the ska sound slightly, BTMI liked to experiment with different sounds whilst always sticking solidly to their ethics. This is why the band were adored. I kind of think an ASOB/BTMI/Jeff Rosenstock tour would just be magical.

Potshot
Potshot were my first introduction to Japanese ska punk music and I never got to see them live. That's one big reason for them to reunite right there. This was also a big introduction to the more brass lead chaotic style of ska punk that not many of the big American bands were playing at the time. Potshot would get audiences really moving and smiling once again if they ever were to return. A slot at Level Up Festival would do nicely.

The Loved Ones
Despite the success that Dave Hause has had with his solo albums and with his band The Mermaid, I think it's only a matter of time before we are treated to some Loved Ones reunion shows at a festival somewhere. The album Keep Your Heart has become a bit of a cult classic and features such bangers as Jane, 100k and Player Hater Anthem. Whenever I've seen Hause solo I've always really hoped for some Loved Ones songs to appear in his set – it always makes me happy when they do.

Madcap
During the early 2000s I absolutely loved LA's Madcap. Across three albums they mixed street punk, '77 style punk and a bit of ska to a great fashion. Madcap don't just write songs, they write anthems. I go years without listening to them but when I do listen again I can sing along to every word across all three albums. There aren't many bands where I can do that these days. Lead singer Jonny still plays and records as Johnny Madcap And The Distractions but a proper Madcap reunion would be great.

Mixtapes
These Ohio pop punks really seemed to be rocketing to the moon just before they split up in 2014. During that time they built up a dedicated fan base throughout America and in the UK and Europe. Playing catchy, hook filled indie pop punk with duelling vocals between Maura Weaver and Ryan Rockwell, they were a breath of fresh air. Nothing Can Kill The Grimace remains one of my favourite ever songs and their version of Werewolf Shame by Direct Hit is superb. I'm sure it's not long until they do a Fest reunion show and hopefully find their way back to the UK as well.

Captain Everything
Whenever Fastfade break out their cover of Chance Of A Lunchtime I remember how much I would have loved to have seen Captain Everything live. Masters of bubblegum thrash, Captain Everything are one of the most missed bands from the early 2000s era of UK punk rock music. Over the years, many of the bands from those days have got back together for the odd show or tour but as far as I'm aware Captain Everything are yet to do so. I'm sure if they did decide to get back together for a special show it would be some night.

Jesse James
This is a bit of a cheat as Jesse James did get back together for a handful of shows in 2014 and 2016 but I'm greedy and want more! Jesse James were one of the bands that first got me into underground UK punk rock and I'm forever missing them. Punk Soul Brothers and Mission remain as some of my favourite albums of all time. Their headline gig at the Borderline in Soho was one of my favourite sets of all time and I NEED MORE! …Pretty please.

This top ten was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Someone, Somewhere by Brainflakes

Brainflakes is the solo project of Rockford, Illinois, songwriter Brendon Cave. After years of playing in different bands, he moved to Salt Lake City and began to focus on writing songs for his own release. Titled Someone, Somewhere, it was released by Hidden Home Records on the 1st of November. Combining punk, emo and indie music, Someone, Somewhere is four songs of vulnerable and intelligent music, switching between soft moments and crunching power chords. When the fine folks at Hidden Home sent this through to me I knew it was one I had to check out.

Someone, Somewhere begins with the song Royale. Beginning with a guitar sound that could be described as jangly and also crunching, it's not long before Cave's voice comes in and we're treated some superb raspy vocals. This isn't the case throughout the track though as there are times when things slow down and get a bit quiet. These contrasts keep things sounding fresh and have you wondering what's next. I loved the sing-along nature of the song. This is one of those songs that will really unite an audience with the band. Up next is Clay's Achin', starting slowly with Cave displaying a poppier, cleaner side to his vocals. Not for long though, as we hit a chorus where that superb raspy vocal returns. The song continues in this pattern, jumping between quiet and loud moments adding to the emotion in the track. Clay's Achin' is about being conflicted about life on tour – Is it worth it? Are you getting too old for it? Have you made it yet? Something relatable not just for folks in bands but for people who regularly attend gigs rather than doing the more traditional grown-up things like buying houses and having kids.

Cracking Yer Head is probably my favourite of the four songs on Someone, Somewhere. It falls more into the punk side of things rather than emo but still  doesn't stray far from the Brainflakes sound. Starting slowly before picking up the pace, this eases the listener into the song nicely before Cave's vocals really explode. It sounds as if the track is played at a slightly higher tempo than the previous song. This adds energy and I love that. The song is about going for your dreams but reaching that metaphorical glass ceiling and the frustration that brings. I felt like the song looks at the more realistic side of chasing your dreams but it not always being achievable. Last up is Leaving The Shire. What a fantastic choice as last song this was! The track begins very slowly, beginning with a little bit of organ before a slow, jangly guitar riff and some soft vocals join in. This section goes along for about half the song, you know something big is coming but you're never quite sure when as there isn't a build – instead the song just kicks into life without warning. This was great, it really added urgency to the song. A bit like Cave was saying "okay, let’s crack on with this." You can't help but want to shout along with fists high in the air to the track. This was the best way to finish this wonderful EP.

This is a great introduction to Brainflakes if, like me, you weren't aware of them before this release. Emo isn’t usually my go to genre but there was enough of the gruff, raspy punk sound that I enjoy to really keep me hooked throughout. Brainflakes could become a very popular band in the emo and punk circuits.

Stream and download Someone, Somewhere here: https://hiddenhomerecords.bandcamp.com/album/hhr027-someone-somewhere

Like Brainflakes here: https://www.facebook.com/brainflakesband/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: The Boys Are Still In Town by Local Drags

Local Drags is a new project from Starter Jackets members Lanny Durbin and Matt Sailor. The Springfield, IL based duo released a new four track EP under the Local Drags name in October. Titled The Boys Are Still In Town and released by Stardumb Records, it's their second release of the year, following on from their excellent debut LP Shit's Lookin' Up.

The Boys Are Still In Town begins with the song Girls In Denim Jackets. From the outset we are treated to a slice of power pop garage rock. Singer and guitarist Lanny does a superb job of telling a story about a difficult relationship with a girl and how you should watch out for certain types. As you would expect, the song is extremely catchy and I loved the bright, uplifting nature of the chorus despite the downbeat and sad lyrics. Fast Rewind begins with a drum beat that instantly reminded me of the classic Toni Basil song Hey Mickey. When Lanny's vocals come in though we switch to a sugary sweet sounding power pop song that looks at the topic of losing somebody close to you. I sense a theme with Local Drags where they write quite uplifting melodies to go along with some sad and emotional lyrics.

Pins steps away from the uplifting qualities that Local Drags have displayed so far and is a more serious sounding track. It's about bottling things up and not resolving any problems in your relationship, something you probably shouldn't do but many people will relate to. The fact that it is so relatable is a big reason I fell in love with the song. Interestingly, you don't often hear many bands tackle this topic so it is quite refreshing. The final song on The Boys Are Still In Town is named Big Apple, 3 A.M. Despite the EP only being four songs and about ten minutes long, this final track has that big finish feel you would expect on a long album. It's something I always listen out for on releases and it's not something you really find on EPs. I think a reason why the song feels so big is because of the short, sharp structure of the lyrics that make them instantly accessible and easy to sing along with. The track also features some gorgeous harmonies towards its finale that give the song this wonderful extra layer. I'm such a sucker for great harmonies and fantastic pop punk.

This is a great little release from some masters of their craft. If you're a fan of bands such as Masked Intruder, The Copyrights or Squirtgun then I suggest you check out Local Drags.

Stream and download The Boys Are Still In Town here: https://localdrags.bandcamp.com/album/the-boys-are-still-in-town

Like Local Drags here: https://www.facebook.com/localdrags/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Hello Exile by The Menzingers (by Emma Prew)

The Menzingers are one of my very favourite bands of all time. They are also arguably one of the post popular ‘punk’ bands of the last decade and so when it came to releasing their sixth album there was a lot of trepidation, as well anticipation, surrounding the band. I admit that nothing The Menzingers will ever release could surpass my love and appreciation for On The Impossible Past, the band’s third album. For a lot of people, who share my opinion, it’s because we had OTIP at the right time of our lives. However, in 2017 The Menzingers released After The Party, an album which exceeded all expectations I had and fast became my second favourite of theirs. They couldn’t possibly make an album better than After The Party could they?!

My instant answer is no, Hello Exile did not grab me in the same way. After spending some more time with the album, discussing my thoughts with some pals online – people really love this band and really want to share their feelings about it – and with Colin at home, I still don’t think the album is as good as After The Party but it has grown on me and still is growing on me. It has good points and not so good points and I have a lot of thoughts and feelings with regards to the songs on this album. So, although I initially had no intention of reviewing this, I want to write these things down. It might not be quite the same as my usual reviews but I think that in thinking about each song individually and delving more deeply into the lyrical content, I may well learn to love Hello Exile. I’m certainly open to trying – I owe The Menzingers that much for all they’ve given me.

Hello Exile kicks off with a typically Menzingers-sounding bang[er]. If I hadn’t already heard America (You’re Freaking Me Out) prior to the album’s release, my reaction probably would have been ‘Yes! This is awesome!’. I mean, it is a great song and I guess it’s my fault for listening to the singles and not waiting for the full album, but I suppose what I’m trying to say is it’s a shame the album opens with a song we’ve all already heard. That said, it is brilliant to hear The Menzingers delving into politics here – something they’ve not done a great deal of across their 13 year existence. Lines like ‘New penthouses next to tents in the streets’ and ‘What kind of monsters did our parents vote for?’ really hit home. The track is probably one of the punk-est on the album and, in that respect, is certainly a good jump-start to the album. Next up we have Anna, with a typically nostalgic-infused mid-tempo Menzingers sound that we’ve come to know and love over the past few years. This was also released as a single – the first single in fact – so, again, it’s something listeners will be familiar with. The song is packed full of emotion and lyrics that are just begging to be screamed along to – think Gates or Your Wild Years style. Anna is, I think, not a real person but the song is about someone who has gone away for a while, in this case gone away from Philadelphia, and how the place isn’t the same without them. ‘I have so much to tell ya, Please come back to Philadelphia, This place ain't the same without you, Anna. And oh, how the neighbourhood’s changed, And all our friends keep asking for ya, This place ain't the same without you, Anna.’ The Menzingers seem to have got increasingly more ‘heartland rock’ since their last album, After The Party. The melodies in third song, High School Friend, sound very Springsteen-esque although I don’t think you’d get the boss singing ‘I was getting fucked up with a high school friend, Wondering where all the good times went.’! The Americana meets punk rock sound with a distinct blue-collar vibes is generally something I’m really on board with – The Gaslight Anthem are one of my favourite bands of all time after all – but I’m not 100% sold on The Menzingers in this style. The song is typically nostalgic Menzos and isn’t bad overall but this is one that hasn’t overly grabbed me… yet.

It’s the fourth song of Hello Exile before we get to hear a ‘Tom May song’ but it’s worth the wait. Last To Know is slow paced but not soft, with pounding drums and chunky distorted guitars from the very start. As ever with songs written by Tom, the lyrics are far more cryptic that Greg’s. Take the opening lines for example – when Tom sings ‘Jesus Christ be damned, I held the dagger in my hand, I killed another man.’, I don’t think he’s singing in first person! I really enjoyed the guitar work on the track, particularly the solo towards the end with some subtle woah-ohs thrown in for good measure. A big reverby section at the very end of song gets louder and louder before throwing us into track number five. It’s a great transition into the stop-start guitars (possibly the two guitars taking it in turn to play different parts) of Strangers Forever. When the verse hits, it’s mid-tempo and contemplative with those stop-start guitars holding your attention as they lead into the chorus – ‘Maybe it's for the better we both stay strangers forever, Maybe it's for the best we pretend like we never met, Forget everything that we've ever known, Maybe it's for the better we both stay strangers forever, Strangers forever…’. There’s no denying that this another hugely singalong-able Menzingers anthem and I particularly enjoy the visuals of being stranded on a deserted island that appear throughout the verses of the song. Strangers Forever is about feeling like you don’t completely know someone despite seemingly having been very close to them, seemingly forever. My first thoughts when I heard the sixth song, Hello Exile, was why isn’t think the album’s closing track? Not only is it the title track, so that would nicely bring things full circle, but it’s slow and feels akin to Freedom Bridge or When You Died, aka. the slow album closer. When I got over that however, I do really quite like this song – and it is the end of Side A on the vinyl so that’s something. Hello Exile is stripped back and almost feels acoustic in its delivery although the rhythm section is subtly there throughout the song. It feels wonderfully wistful and romantic. I guess that doesn’t sound very punk but I think we have to admit that The Menzingers now transcend punk. I’m okay with that, hopefully you are too.

Portland opens the second half of the album. Relatively upbeat and anthemic from the outset, the pounding drums and melodic guitars will immediately have the listener’s attention after the softer tones of Hello Exile. In the song, which is a relatively short one by Menzingers current standards, Tom sings of not being able to change the past and consequently not being the same person he was in the past. The chorus is pleasantly repetitive and will no doubt find itself lodged in your head but it was the second verse that really stood out to me – ‘You wake up shaking in the middle of the night, A voice from the past back looking for a fight, Seize your sorrow, breathe with me, The pause between is all we need, They say it hurts ’till it doesn’t, You said "the future is unwritten, let the past stay in the past.”’ A nice nod to Joe Strummer there, who I know Tom May is a huge admirer of. After Portland we have Strain Your Memory. Now, this is a song that I should love. It’s got a bit more pace to it from the outset, Greg’s vocals have a lovely twang to them, it’s packed with heart-wrenching emotion and, of course, it’s begging to be sung along to. You can tell there’s a ‘but’ coming, can’t you? Well, the reason I can’t bring myself to ‘love’ Strain Your Memory is that I feel like it reminds me a little too much of Your Wild Years from After The Party. Your Wild Years is brilliant and, to me at least, Strain Your Memory feels like it references similar themes a bit too much. However, I bet I’ll still scream every word back at the band if (when) I see them play it live. By contrast to my feelings about Strain Your Memory, I simply cannot get enough of track number nine on Hello Exile. I Can’t Stop Drinking is long – clocking in at 5:10, it is actually their longest ever song (by three seconds). It’s also very slow, incredibly dark and so melancholic that it feels almost twisted – all of which is strangely compelling. There’s so much pain in Greg’s vocals as he sings about, well basically, coming to terms with alcohol addiction. For a band that has a lot of songs about partying and just drinking in general, this song feels like quite a surprise. Musically, the only song in their back catalogue that I would compare this to is Transient Love from Rented World (which was previously their longest song). I can’t imagine Transient Love or I Can’t Stop Drinking are fan favourites but I absolute love both of them.

Strawberry Mansion passed me by on my first few listens of Hello Exile, I neither loved it nor disliked it. However, when I was reading the lyric sheet whilst listening to the vinyl for the first time I was suddenly like ‘Shit, is this song about climate change?’ – the line ‘Exiled to an island of plastic’ in particular. Suddenly I saw The Menzingers, and Tom May particularly as this is a song he has written, in a new light. In reflection, after that, I decided that it’s probably not strictly about climate change specifically so much as about the state of the current world we live in in general. There’s no denying that the song is powerful lyrically – ‘Set a course for the sun, To bittersweet oblivion, The time has come, the rain has gone, Back to hell where we belong.’ – as well as musically and it packs a punch in both regards. Definitely one of Hello Exile’s highlights. The penultimate song, London Drugs, wastes no time in getting going and quickly matches the pace of Strawberry Mansion. Interestingly, the song opens with the chorus which also follows the same melody as the guitar parts. It’s fairly simple and it is catchy, that’s for sure. Do I like it? I’m not so sure, although I did enjoy the little reference to The Pogues in the opening of the first verse – ‘On a rainy night in Soho, The wind was whistling all its charms’. The themes of the song are perhaps similar to I Can’t Stop Drinking but I just don’t connect with the delivery of London Drugs in the same way. It certainly doesn’t have the same impact as fellow penultimate song After The Party had on the album of the same name but then that is one of the very best Menzingers songs of all time! I already established earlier in this review that I like my Menzingers albums to end with one big yet slow and melancholic song. Farewell Youth is the song that has to fulfill that task on Hello Exile and, while its not drenched in melancholy, I guess it kind of fits the slow part of my expectations. It’s a typical getting older and looking back on your youth (saying farewell to it) style song that The Menzingers do well. It’s nothing new exactly and I don’t really think this song is as good as others in the band’s back catalogue…

It feels a bit of a shame to end my review of Hello Exile on a more negative note as there are some songs on this album that I really, really like. Unfortunately there’s also a few too many songs that either don’t do anything for me or just feel a bit average. It’s not that Hello Exile is a bad album, it’s just that The Menzingers set the bar so high with their previous releases that it was always going to be tricky to come close with this one.

If you like the band already, you’ll probably like this album – after all, it does sound like The Menzingers playing The Menzingers songs. If you’re interested in checking the band out having never listen to them before however, I’d enthusiastically suggest you listen to On The Impossible Past and After The Party instead.

Hello Exile is available now, from all the places that you usually get your music from, and you can like The Menzingers on Facebook here – let’s face it, if you’ve read this far, you probably already do ‘like’ them.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Gig Review: The Bouncing Souls at Electric Ballroom, London 26/10/19

When a band reaches thirty years together as a band it's an incredible achievement. That's the impressive milestones that New Jersey's The Bouncing Souls reached this year. To celebrate they have been playing massive shows all year and showing why they've had so much longevity. (Spoiler, it's because they're really really good). After what seemed like the longest wait, it was time for the UK to get their chance to party with The Souls. We attended the London date of the UK tour at the Electric Ballroom in Camden and we were very excited for the night ahead of us.

Due to an early start (and the fact I work on Saturdays) we arrived at the Electric Ballroom as Death By Stereo were already halfway through their set. This was my first time seeing the California band but was well aware of their legendary status in the scene. Combining punk, hardcore and metal, Death By Stereo had whipped the crowd that had arrived early into quite the frenzy when we got into the venue. Lead singer Efrem Schulz has a tonne of energy and was a blur on stage as well as down the front in the pit during the set which was great to witness. Death By Stereo are perhaps on the heavier end of the spectrum for my personal tastes but I can clearly see why they are such a beloved band.

Up next was Canadian trio The Dirty Nil. These three gentlemen have been developing quite the reputation as the of the hottest new bands around. Playing alternative rock with a punk rock swagger and energy, The Dirty Nil had some very enthusiastic fans down the front who gleefully shouted back the words to every song – something the band clearly appreciated. As you might expect from a modern rock band, they are slick (aside from one moment at beginning of a song which they quickly laughed off) and look well rehearsed. Playing a mixture of songs from their two full lengths Higher Power and Master Volume, it was great to see a band putting so much passion into their performance, I'm not sure that the band were stationary for a moment during their set. It's plain to see why The Dirty Nil are so hotly tipped as ones to watch.

It was now time for the main event – The Bouncing Souls. By this point, the room was pretty rammed with the band’s loyal and dedicated fan base. Before they started their set, I was thinking about how of all the punk bands from their era they are probably still the most beloved. For me, personally, there's not a band from that era that I get quite as excited about as The Souls. Seeing them live is just the best experience each and every time – singing as loudly as I can to so many classic songs, surrounded my many of my friends. It's a special moment every time, including this time. In fact, this felt like an ever more special moment given the fact we were celebrating thirty years of the bad. Taking to the stage with little fanfare before jumping into Hopeless Romantic, Sing Along Forever, Kate Is Great and The Gold Song, everyone in the Electric Ballroom shouted the songs back at the stage. The Bouncing Souls are one of those bands who, at times, don't actually need a singer as their fans sing so loudly and passionately. I love Greg though, so I'm glad he's here. It's easy to forget just how many complete bangers the band have written over the years. With each song they played there was a new level of excitement when people realised what they were playing. The set did mostly consist of Souls songs from the first fifteen years of the band’s discography including three from Maniacal Laughter (a very underrated album in my opinion). It was also nice to see that the songs from 2019's Crucial Moments – which I think is one of the band’s best releases in a while – got fantastic receptions. I particularly enjoyed the love song Favourite Everything which I had a little dance to with Emma. Other highlights were That Something Special going straight into Lean On Sheena and the final two songs of the main set – Gone and Manthem. I was very surprised when they walked off stage after those songs, it had been an hour but it flown by and I had had so much fun. They soon came back to the stage for a four song encore of Crucial Moments, True Believers (where they were joined by members of Death By Stereo and Tony from Brighton based punks Harker), The Freaks, The Nerds, & The Romantics and Night On Earth.

This was a seriously fantastic night. The Bouncing Souls are the actual best band around. Congratulations on thirty years, here's to another thirty!

This gig review was written by Colin Clark. Photos by Emma Prew.