Album Review: Me, Myself And Something Else by Call Me Malcolm

When Call Me Malcolm released the incredible I Was Broken When You Got Here in 2018 it really put them on the UK DIY punk rock map. During the next year and a half they would play Manchester Punk Festival, Rebellion Festival, Boomtown Festival, Level Up Festival and Punk Rock Holiday in Slovenia, as well as countless gigs at DIY venues across the country including a big tour with The Slackers. During that eighteen months they somehow also found time to write and record their third album, Me, Myself And Something Else.

I Was Broken When You Got Here focussed heavily on the band’s internal mental health problems. Me, Myself And Something Else, which is set for release on the 15th of May, continues with this theme but expands it by talking about what it's like to go through day to day life with your mental health. Never a band to shy away from speaking out about some heavy topics, the album immediately felt darker than their previous efforts but the high energy ska punk and incredible vocal displays from Lucias, Mark and Lewis remain and are sounding better than ever.

The album begins with a news bulletin parody intro. This is a theme throughout the album and ties in with one of the tracks that we will speak about later. The first song on the album was also the first single released from the album. Titled Wake Up, The Monster Said, the track is everything you would expect from Malcolm if you're a long time fan or, if you're new to the band, it's the perfect introduction. It starts out with a guitar riff that almost sounds like a warning siren before those brilliant horns come in and the album really gets going. It's a fast paced track that really explodes during the chorus. The band have always had a great knack for writing a big chorus and it's clear that's going to continue on Me, Myself And Something Else. What You Burn is about 24 hour news channels and how bad they can be for your mental health because of all of the fear and anger that it showcases. Given that I'm writing this review during the second week of the government enforced lockdown in the UK due to COVID-19, I expect there will be a lot of people who will relate to this song right now. Hour after hour of bad news and despair is not good for your head. The band brilliantly jump between melody and tempo throughout the track. Fast paced upstrokes for the verse, a slower and emotional pre-chorus and a sing-along moment for the chorus. It's well structured and takes you on a wonderful ride. One of Malcolm's big strengths has always been that they basically have three lead vocalists in their band, this works wonderfully during this track as Mark takes over from Lucias to sing the bridge. It's a little thing but really adds something to the track.

The fourth track is titled I Bet They're Asleep In New York. My first thoughts on hearing the song was that they've been listening to a lot of Random Hand before the writing the song. There's a heaver skacore tone to the track and I love it. The intro is bound to incite some pretty wild skanking that I can't way to see. Brilliantly utilising the vocalists again, Lucias again takes us through the verse before Mark delivers an absolute masterclass on the chorus. This is one of my highlights on the entire album. During the second half of the song, things are slowed right down and Malcolm step into the reggae/dub world to deliver a breakdown that fans of the RX Bandits will adore before finishing off with a bang. This is a ska punk banger of the highest order. Track five, Last One Standing Loses, sees Lewis make his first appearance in the vocal booth. This is classic Call Me Malcolm, channelling the third wave sound we all grew up on. It's a poppier number that will get a crowd bouncing around the venue. The song is about trying to find a way to survive in spite of the of the helplessness feelings of the people around you as well as yourself. The line "I'm tired of saying goodbye to best friends that I just met." This seems like a throwback to All My Nameless Friends and how you lose the high from that night out with all your "nameless friends."

Also, Spiders kicks off the second part of Me, Myself and Something Else. This section of the album takes more of an active approach to dealing with mental health, jumping between hope and hopelessness as the band look for the answers to their questions. Also, Spiders is about the natural urge to stay silent when you know you're struggling and battling against that. This is a hugely relatable song for anyone who has dealt with any form of mental health issue and will hopefully encourage more people to tell others what they're going through. This is one of the more urgent feeling songs on the album and it gives the opening of this second act a energetic start. A Beginner's Guide To Fighting Back is a song that stands against institutions that are supposed to help people but ultimately fail and make you feel worse. This is one of those songs that really make you feel something and really care about the message of the song. The track is packed with wonderfully moving and inspiring lyrics, I could list them all but that would make this review longer than it's already going to be so I'll just pick this one – "the most beautiful people are beautifully broken." That's a doozy of a line.

The eighth track is a breaking news interlude before ninth song NowsirawariswoN (hardest title to write ever) begins. It's about how being diagnosed for an illness isn't a cure. I really enjoyed the way in which Lucias delivers the vocals on the track. It's a short and stabby approach that does a fine job of keeping up with the quick upstrokes. Another brilliantly skankable tune that will also have you shouting the chorus back at the stage with all the passion and might that you have. -24 Months Only- also takes aim at the institutions that are supposed to help us. Starting out with some huge horns, really giving the song a feeling of pomp that makes you pay all of the attention. I loved how big this entire song sounds, producer Oz Craggs of Hidden Track Studios has done a cracking job on the entire album. There's an anger in the song that I've never heard from the band in the past and it's fantastic. I Met All The Beasts In Your Thoughts is about how the people closest to you can be suffering and keeping it a secret. This is a track that seems to build and build, threatening to explode a couple of times before really doing so with Lucias showing just what a great singer he is. The second part of the album is completed with sunshine-inducing reggae/ska track Please Still Try. Despite being such a sunny sounding track, the band say that this is actually the darkest song on Me, Myself And Something Else. It's about the hidden darkness of suicide with the upbeat tone of the track representing the forced smile mental health sufferers put on for the world.

The third and final part of the album is about finding hope. I Am A Disaster Movie, which is also the penultimate song of the album, is next. During the opening lyrics Lucias sings "so we're trapped, in our third act, this turning point is where I fight", this is a sign of self discovery and revelation and what to expect from the final two songs. The song starts as a ska punk track but gradually grows into more of a full on punk rock track with added horns. This adds all sorts of energy and urgency as the track progresses. It's an impressive feat of songwriting that, this deep into the album, I still find myself wanting to lose my mind to every track on it. Lucias, along with bassist Trevor and drummer Baxter really shred on this song. It's a delight. The final proper track on Me, Myself And Something Else is titled Sleepwalk With Me. Given Call Me Malcolm's history of epic final tracks, I was expecting big things. They obviously didn't disappoint. The song is about people close to us giving us hope to keep on going and how, even when things are at their worst, there are still people who will know what you're going through. The track is completed with some "whoa-oh" backing vocals that perfectly bookend the album as they also appear Wake Up, The Monster Said. I love things like this. There's such a feel of hope and optimism on the song, it leaves you feeling like things might be okay or at the very least start to feel better – that's so important. The album is concluded with one last news bulletin with another tongue-in-cheek skit showing the fear that the media install upon us with the most mundane stories.

I have to admit that the first time I listened to Me, Myself And Something Else I had felt a little underwhelmed. It wasn't that I disliked it, it just wasn't I Was Broken When You Got Here. Then I listened again and I had a realisation. This isn't Broken, this is Something Else. I think it's important to separate the two as much as possible on your first listen of the album. Broken is a masterpiece but so is Something Else in its own unique way. It's a darker and heavier album by a band who, despite releasing the best ska punk album of the past decade, continue to push themselves and develop as songwriters. I must have listened to the album about ten times before they announced what song would be the single and I genuinely couldn't have guessed which song would be picked, they're all so strong and a great advert for what to expect from the album. I enjoyed the journey we were taken on during the album, it's clear that a lot of thought and attention to detail has gone into the album. No band has had two album of the year "awards" from me since CPRW's inception. There's an extremely good chance that it might happen this year.

Pre-order Me, Myself And Something Else from the band here and listen to Wake Up, The Monster Said on Bandcamp here.

Like Call Me Malcolm on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Eruptions by The Special Bombs (by Marcus Pond)

The Special Bombs are a four piece group from Wittibreut, Germany. Their debut album Eruptions, came out on March 20 via SBÄM Records, six months after their debut EP Stay True. They released a video for the single “Still Dreaming” in mid-February, and had planned to do some touring to support Eruptions before COVID-19 changed everyone’s plans.

But, even if it’s not in front of a packed house party or a sweaty mosh pit, Eruptions is still a great listen. After seeing their video for “Still Dreaming”, I quickly hopped on the CPRW group message to call dibs on the review, and was thrilled to discover that Colin had already received an advance of their record. The email he forwarded to me had some press info that claimed their sound is similar to something that might come out of “Gainesville or Sweden instead of Lower Bavaria”. While The Special Bombs seem like they’d fit in well at a Fest lineup, and the Millencolin influence seems pretty apparent, I heard a homage to Bouncing Souls that was undeniable as well.

Eruptions kicks off with “My Eruption”, which features a guitar riff that would slide in perfectly on How I Spent My Summer Vacation. In similar Souls fashion, Stephan Lirk is able to flex his vocals into that trademark higher octave without too much of a strain. Also, similar to the Souls, he’s able to pen a song about something negative (losing your temper, getting frustrated, etc.) and make it sound unbelievably catchy and upbeat. Like a volcanic eruption, “My Eruption” builds and builds to a cathartic explosion of pounding drums and screaming vocals.

It’s quickly followed up with lead single “Still Dreaming”. This is easily the standout track (for me, at least), as it boasts an infectious chorus that is begging to be listened to at full volume with the windows down. I’ve listened to it dozens of times, and I still can’t help but sing along when Lirk yells “It feels like running out of fuel / I hope it’s over soon / I’m fighting against demons in my head.”

Even though I’m pretty sure I’m much older than the guys in The Special Bombs, I loved hearing “Not Too Old” from them. At first, I assumed that it was about not being too old to listen to punk music (something that I’m sure people who know me probably wonder about), but it’s really about not putting limits on your goals and dreams, something that undoubtedly resonates with everybody, eventually. A great tune about still having time to discover “what lies beyond the beaten track”.

The song I’d love to see live more than any would have to be “United”. There are lots of gang vocals here, especially during the chorus, when they all shout “This is our time, this is our scene / It’s all about passion and what we feel / United we are what we can’t be alone / Since we’re together nothing can go wrong.” I can already feel the sweaty bodies around me singing along, arm in arm.

Eruptions is nothing if not consistent. Each track is straightforward, uplifting, melodic punk. There’s no acoustic tracks, no orchestras or pianos thrown in for variety, no goofy throw-away songs. Every tune is meant to be played loud, ideally with space to jump around, with lyrics designed to be shouted along to.

RIYL: Bouncing Souls (but more How I Spent My Summer Vacation or Gold Record than Anchors Aweigh), Millencolin, Dropkick Murphys, Beatsteaks, volcanos

Stream and download Eruptions on Bandcamp here.

Like The Special Bombs on Facebook here.

This review was written by Marcus Pond.

Album Review: The Spaces In Between by Arterials

One of my favourite discoveries of 2019 were Hamburg punk rockers Arterials. After catching them twice at Booze Cruise Festival, I knew that I wanted to feature them a lot on CPRW. The combination of raspy vocals, urgent melodies and powerful messages really resonated with me and I want everyone in the world to know about them. In February, the band announced they would be releasing a brand new album on Gunner Records titled The Spaces In Between on April 24th. The band’s previous album, Constructive Summer, was absolutely brilliant and I was super excited to get an early listen to The Spaces In Between.

The album’s opening track Friendship Is A Four-Letter Word was also one of two singles the band put out in the build up to The Spaces In Between's release. This is a great introduction to Arterials for first time listeners. Firstly, it's a super positive song about being there for your friends whenever they need you. Flo's raspy vocals give the song plenty of urgency and the track is stuffed with big hooks and moments that will get your fists high in the air as you sing along. This track sets the bar high for the rest of the album. Faith In Yourself begins with a fantastic building guitar part that lets you know big things are coming. Rather than really exploding into life we get a slower, more measured approach to the song. There are high moments, such as the chorus and the song’s big finale, but for the most part the song focuses on getting its message across. That message is that you don't need to have faith in any kind of religion, all you really need is to have faith in yourself. The third track, Savage Season, sees an angrier side of Arterials. This is a no thrills punk rock song about bad politicians who are only in it for the ego boost and power trip rather than actually wanting to help people. Something we in the UK can really relate to.

Storm The Fortress is another political track. The band tone down the anger and present a more thoughtful songwriting style. It's about the political and media desire to fear monger and make people feel like they need to create borders and put up walls. The song is full of great lyrics. Two of my favourites are "we stack and stack and stack, tuning out the cries for help" and "it’s easier to build a wall, than to open up your arms." Some really powerful and emotive stuff. Bitter Fruit For Broken Homes is about how things may look great from the outside but things aren't always as good as they seem. It's one of the album’s slower and more emotional tracks but still packs that punch that I've come to expect from Arterials. The gang vocals on the chorus make it seriously emphatic and impossible to ignore. The sixth song is the album's title track, The Spaces In Between. It was also another single the band released in preparation of the album's release. I can see this song becoming a big highlight of an Arterials live set and perhaps even being their big closer. It's about not being afraid to stray from the path and finding something that means something to you. The track starts in an explosive fashion as the band storm through the opening two verses, giving the song an urgent and passionate feel. Then things are slowed down and the band sing the big positive hook. I hope to one day be in a sweaty punk club singing along to this as loudly as I can. It'll be a goosebump moment for sure.

Jaded & Hated kicks off the second half of The Spaces In Between with a bang. This stripped back hardcore song is about getting older and still playing in punk rock bands despite the negative attitude people may have towards it. As long as people are still enjoying it, Arterials will keep going. They don't care what the naysayers think. Pump The Brakes looks at the older generation’s ignorance towards climate change and caring more about lining their pockets than helping to save the planet. I can't think of many bands that have approached this topic so it feels very refreshing to hear a band tackle it and do it so well. You might think that this would play out as one of the angrier songs on the album but it's actually pretty melodic and full of hooks. This is great as it makes it more accessible and might help to inspire everyone who listens to try and do more to help with this huge problem. Corpse Motel (despite its title) sees Arterials return to a more positive frame of mind. It's about realising that no matter how bad things seem to be on tour, you're doing something you love with your friends and you should celebrate that. Being in a DIY punk band is not a glamorous thing, yet thousands of people do it because they love it. I love the lyrics in the chorus – "colour in the grey, with dabs of sky". A cooler person than me would say "super posi vibes."

The tenth track, Shades Of Brown And Blue, starts out in a ferocious manner. Of all the tracks on The Spaces In Between, Shades Of Brown And Blue is certainly the most circle pit inciting song. Arterials sound seriously pissed off on this track and rightfully so. It's about hating someone because they're different to you and how racism shouldn't ever be used for a political agenda. This is something we hopefully all feel very strongly about. The final line of the track is so powerful, Flo hoarsely screams "we won't bow down to hate!" The penultimate track on the album is titled Break Your Bones. This song has a very impactful beginning with its short sentence structure. During the track, Arterials show that they are allies to the folks who are marginalised because they look or act differently to what is expected of them. The band continue to shout out powerful and meaningful lyrics, this time with "each body's beautiful, let hearts shine bright, your life is meaningful, fuck all that divides". The final track on the album is On Greener Hills. A song which we are lucky enough to feature on our new compilation in aid of Music Venue Trust (also out April 24th). It's about learning from your past mistakes and growing as a person because of them. I've always thought that self discovery and pushing yourself to become a better person is a big part of what modern day DIY punk is all about so I was very glad to hear Arterials pick this subject to write about. It allows The Spaces In Between to finish on an positive and inspiring note.

On my first listen through of The Spaces In Between, I knew this was a very special album. Not only is each song an absolute punk gem where you will be able to sing and dance to your heart's content, it's also full of powerful meaning that if you want to dig down into the lyrics will move you. This is that heart on your sleeve punk rock that really matters in this day and age. There are loads of great bands in Germany at the moment but I'm not sure any are currently more important that Arterials.

Pre-order The Spaces In Between on Bandcamp here.

Like Arterials on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: You Or Someone You Know by Worriers (by Marcus Pond)

Worriers is a four piece group from Brooklyn, fronted by Lauren Denitzio, formerly of the band The Measure (SA). With three other full lengths already under their belt, they released You Or Someone You Know on 6131 Records on March 6, 2020.

Their second album, Imaginary Life, was produced by Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, and showcased an angst and snarl similar to AM!’s releases. While Denitzio doesn’t have the same raw, gritty delivery as AM!, their lyrics provide plenty of bite. This go-around, John Agnello (who also produced records for Dinosaur Jr., The Hold Steady, and Jawbox, among many, many others) was behind the glass, and has helped them create a loud, in-the-front-row feel to the recording.

The record opens up with “End Of The World”, an upbeat track about trying to focus on love despite the perils of climate change. With a background of soaring power chords, Denitzio wonders “What can I possibly say / Is it me or the end of the world? / Cover your eyes and ears and hope I don’t notice and nothing hurts”. Realizing that some problems may take a while to fix, they eventually ask “Could you just hold on to me for now?”

Worriers continues to walk the line between ominous and optimistic on “What Comes Next?”, which spends its verses brooding about “Getting the sense that the game has been thrown” amidst a moody bassline and a palm muted guitar. In the chorus, Denitzio declares triumphantly “I have all the luck I need”.

Throughout the record, Worriers stay true to their moniker, balancing preoccupations with things like equality, natural disasters, loneliness (“Relentless Noise”) and difficult relationships (“Enough”) with empowerment and a call to action. Rather than being paralyzed with fear, they generate a sense of hope, of moving forward despite any perceived setbacks.

The balance is perfectly encapsulated in the closer (aptly named “Grand Closing”), in which Denitzio spends the first few minutes cooing over a few reverbed chords. At the two minute mark, the same lyrics they almost whispered before, have now swelled into an anthem: “So this is how it goes / This is how I walk now”.

Between the power pop of “PWR CPLE”, the killer riff of “Big Feelings”, or the sweet, slow lament of “Terrible Boyfriend”, there’s a mood, emotion, or sound that will appeal to a variety of listeners. With the slight exception of “Chicago Style Pizza Is Terrible” (the title of which I happen to vehemently disagree with), every song hit my ears incredibly well.

Since devouring You Or Someone You Know, I’ve dug back into the Worriers back-catalogue and have especially enjoyed Survival Pop (2018), but where Yourself Or Someone You Know has them all beat is the Denitzio’s introspection and storytelling. Regardless of the listener’s background, I think it’d be difficult to not think of yourself or someone you know during every song. I’m not sure if that’s the point of record title, but I’d certainly recommend Worriers to everybody I know.

RIYL: Against Me!, Foxhall Stacks, Ted Leo, Signals Midwest, New York style pizza

Stream and download You Or Someone You Know on Bandcamp here.

Like Worriers on Facebook here.

This review was written by Marcus Pond.

Video Premiere: Wake Up, The Monster Said by Call Me Malcolm

On Friday, Call Me Malcolm released their first single from their upcoming new album, Me, Myself And Something Else. Titled Wake Up, The Monster Said, the band explain "‘Wake Up...’ explores the reality of living with mental health issues, and the impact of depression on the simplest of daily actions."

We're pleased as punch to be premiering the video for Wake Up, The Monster Said on CPRW.

Pre-order Me, Myself And Something Else here.

The song, along with the album, was produced, mixed and mastered by Oz Craggs at Hidden Track Studios.
The video was directed and edited by www.turtlecanyonmedia.com
For everything else visit: www.callmemalcolmband.com

Top Tens: Ten Ways To Support The DIY Punk Scene During Lockdown

COVID-19 has been pretty devastating for the live music scene all over the world with the cancellations of gigs, tours and festivals. This has meant many bands, artists, venues, drivers, tour managers, promoters, sound people and probably a whole host of other folk have lost their main source of income. It's a terrible situation and a lot of great people are going to be struggling. As with any time of struggle, the DIY punk community usually shows what exceptional people they are by finding ways to support their comrades in need. I've put together ten suggestions for helping to support the bands, labels and venues that have really been affected by the pandemic.

Buy Their Music And Merch
This is painstakingly obvious but the best way of helping out the bands you love is by buying their music and merchandise. You don't have to do this at shows – bands have online shops, usually on their Bandcamp pages or on Big Cartel. If you stream a band a lot, why not buy a download from them? They make much much more money this way.

Share Your Favourite Bands On Your Social Media
Another pretty obvious one and the title explains it all. Share your favourite bands on your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Let your followers know what you're enjoying, maybe they'll check the bands out and enjoy them as well.

Watch Live Streams And Donate
What I think is the best thing to come from COVID-19 is the amount of bands who have taken to the Internet to perform live streams shows. It's been a great way to see some form of live music as well as saying hi to friends from all over the world. It's a great way to stay connected to the scene that you love. Most live streams are also requesting people to make donations during the stream, be it to help them out or to donate to a charity. At the moment, it seems as if there's a live stream happening every night – it's a great way to spend an evening indoors.

Let Promoters And Venues Keep Your Refunds
When Manchester Punk Festival had to cancel a couple of weeks ago, it was absolutely wonderful to see the amount of people who messaged the festival to say that they were happy for them to keep their money. I've been doing this for every festival or gig that's been cancelled. The way I see it, if I could afford the ticket in the first place and I can afford to go without the money now, it can go towards supporting something that I love. I appreciate there are a lot of people who have been put in financial bother who could probably do with any refunds they've got coming to them but, if that's not you, please think about letting the promoters/venues hang on to your money to help these events continue after the pandemic has ended.

Check In On Your Friends Who Have Been Affected
This is a way of helping bands without spending any money. It's simple but I think it's such an important thing to do. If you've got any friends who play in bands, or work for venues, or run labels, send them a message and check in on them. Let's be honest, we're all struggling mentally at the moment but these people have had their big passion taken away from them and will be having moments of feeling low. Having people to talk to will go a long way in supporting them mentally which can be just as valuable as supporting them financially.

Buy Things From Online Record Shops
Another self explanatory one. Obviously you can't go into a record shop at the moment but there are still plenty of online record shops around who would love your custom. Go buy a record or two whilst the postal service is still operating. Who knows when they might be forced to stop.

Buy Gift Vouchers For Venues And Labels
Many online shops have gift vouchers you can buy other people for presents. This is a great way to support them. I've also seen that venues such as The Exchange in Bristol and Rad Apples in Dundee, the new vegan restaurant above Conroy's Basement (home of Make-That-A-Take Records), are offering vouchers that you can buy now and redeem later. I think this is a brilliant idea. It supports these places now and gives you something to look forward to in the future.

Spend The Extra Time You Have Now Discovering New Bands
You've probably got plenty of spare time on your hands at the moment. Why not spend some of it looking for new bands to support? Fall in love with a new band and get excited about having the opportunity to see them in the future. The Bandcamp discovery page is the very best tool for finding new bands, especially when you can't go to gigs – why not use it and find your new favourite? Then go buy all their stuff.

Start A Project To Help Raise Money To Support Those In Need
When all this began and the impact that it was going to have on so many of my friends involved in the music "industry" became clear, my first thought was how can I help. Having a project to focus my mind on not only helps distract me from everything that's going on and gives me something positive to work on, but it will also hopefully help those who need it. I'm putting together a massive comp (to be released on April 24th through CPRW Records) to raise some money for Music Venue Trust. Perhaps you could do something to raise some money to help the bands and venues you care about. I'm sure all help no matter how big or small will be greatly appreciated.

When This Is Over Make Sure You Go To Gigs
Are you one of those people who often say they will attend a DIY gig and then don't go? When the COVID-19 pandemic is finished and we can go do the things we love again, make sure you get out and support the bands and venues that you're a fan of. It's very easy to take this wonderful scene we're lucky enough to have for granted. Things like COVID-19 have proven that these things can easily be taken away from us so it's important to go out and support the scene. The venues are also going to need some big turnouts over the first couple of months they're allowed to re-open again to try and make back some of the money they've lost during this disaster. Big bar sales will help that. Plus, won't it be lovely to see all your friends again? Personally, I can't wait for the big NXI party at the end of this.

Thanks for reading this. Stay safe, stay indoors.

This top ten was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Dirt Mall by Aerial Salad

Aerial Salad are without a doubt one of the most exciting young bands, not just in the UK but the whole world of punk rock. The Manchester based three-piece have made huge strides since forming in 2016 and playing what many have said is the worst set in the history of The Fest. Their debut album Roach was extremely well received when it was released in 2017. Since then the band have played shows here, there and everywhere – getting better with each set. Over the past year, they've been working hard on the release of their second album, Dirt Mall, which was released on the 27th of March on Plasterer Records as well as Aerial Salad’s new label Roach Industries. I was excited to hear some new material from the boys.

Dirt Mall kicks off with the song Virtue. After a brief intro with some buzzing guitars, it's not long before Jamie Munro's distinctive vocals make an appearance. Passionate, urgent and containing that thick Northern accent, this is an energetic opening for the album. Virtue gives Aerial Salad a grungier edge to their melodic pop punk style and shows the direction that they're heading on Dirt Mall. The next song, Romance?, was released as a single as a warm up for Dirt Mall. It was the perfect choice. The song starts out pretty slowly and shows much more restraint that I'm perhaps used to from Salad. Munro's vocals carry a certain amount of swagger in that opening verse. When the chorus comes in, it's pretty hard not to find yourself singing along. It's one of those brilliantly simple choruses that will get stuck in your head for days. Romance? is about wanting to have sex with someone that's in a relationship that isn't going anywhere and them also wanting to be with you but they can't because of their current status. How complicated. The third song is titled Fever Dream. Another of Aerial Salad's more restrained and, dare I say more, mature sounding efforts. This really is such a great example of the band’s growth over the past couple of years. When Roach was released I could never imagine the band writing a song like this and it being really good.

Temp sees the band pick the tempo back up for a little while. The track begins in quite a loud and brash fashion before soon shifting into a more regimented style. This switch during the song is a very striking method that keeps you listening to the track throughout. Such A Pity starts with a fun walking bass part from Mike Wimbleton. This bass line really carries the opening portion of the track whilst Jamie sings over the top of it. This is without a doubt one of the poppier songs on Dirt Mall and shows that, even though the band have developed, they haven't forgotten their roots. The way the song builds to its chorus is superb, as soon as Jamie yells "tell me, is this a horror film" I'm itching to sing along. I can't wait to see this song performed live. State O'Yer strikes me as one of those songs that gets better and better each time you listen to it. I think the best way of describing the overall sound of the song is by saying if you take the sound of every Teenage Bottlerocket song and add a whole lot of Northern intensity, this is what you’d get. This is where Aerial Salad really excel. Jamie sounds really pissed off as he storms through the track which seems to take aim at the posers in the music scene.

Track seven is the album's title track, Dirt Mall. I read in another review of Dirt Mall that if the reviewer was going to pick one track to sum up the overall sound of the album they would pick Dirt Mall. I would definitely agree with that statement. It's got a bit of everything you expect from the band – passion, energy, angst, cohesiveness, grungey punk rock and a big chorus. It's clear that, despite their relative youth, Jamie, Mike and drummer Matt Mills have been playing together for a good while and play to each other's strengths brilliantly. The penultimate song is named Lazy. This slower track could serve as a bit of an anthem for the band. It has a massive chorus of "I'm so lazy, I don't even feel like moving at all" that I can see crowds at DIY venues all around the UK shouting loudly back at the band. The final track on Dirt Mall is Stressed. This was a great choice of song to finish the album. It's a powerful plodder of a song. It never really hits any massive heights but is also impossible to ignore. This is in part down to a stabby guitar riff and a simple but effective drum beat. It paints a grim but truthful picture of what life is like for most working class, young twenty something people in the UK and how people try and get through it. I laughed when I first heard the lyric "live your own life, the best you can and love your mam". That is such a Jamie Munro lyric.

Dirt Mall definitely delivers on the promise Aerial Salad have as a band. Of all the bands in the UK's ever growing DIY scene, they seem like the most likely to break out into getting some more mainstream attention. Could Aerial Salad become the voice of their generation? How would I know? But it certainly wouldn't surprise me. I can't wait to see them on Sunday Brunch in the future.

Stream and download Dirt Mall on Bandcamp here.

Like Aerial Salad on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.