I’ve realised recently that I am very picky when it comes to genres of music that end in ‘billy’; especially when bands that are grouped using the aforementioned suffix incorporate elements of ‘punk’ into their sound. With that in mind I was a bit wary when I read the write-up on The Hacks, but I shouldn’t have worried.
Hailing from the south-west, this relatively new three-piece give a fresh take on the ‘punk & roll’ genre. If you imagine The Peacocks songs played without a double-bass but with an extra dose of 50’s influence, you’d be along the right lines.
A hefty measure of song-writing talent is brazenly apparent while listening to this CD - ‘Up Sticks’ is up there with The Living End’s greatest tunes, while ‘I Won’t Feel Bad’ draws heavily from the classic rockabilly tracks of the 20th century.
There’s no pretence about this seven-track record, it’s just a collection of well-executed pop songs. ‘Stand Down’ starts like a Blondie track, and yet moves into The Hives territory seamlessly, which showcases the range of influences the band can draw from.
For people who are fans of the ‘punk & roll’ genre, The Hacks are a must. It’s fun and easy to listen to, and their short sharp injections of energy could even keep the attention of people with just a fleeting interest, for half an hour at least.
Sunday 18 July 2010
Monday 12 July 2010
Album Review: Ducking Punches - S/T
As most people will know, reviewing a friend’s musical output is always tough, so I’m going to try to be as unbiased as possible during this review.
Ducking Punches is the stage moniker for Dan Allen, with the occasional help of some extra backing vocals and violin playing. His debut album is a collection of well-written folk driven acoustic punk rock numbers, which at times seem like they’re drenched in whisky, southern USA style.
The most pertinent feature of this full length is the thoroughly thought out song structures. No song sounds the same, with each track having its own identity. There’s the jaunty folk-punk ditty ‘Punk Rock Girl’, the Chuck Ragan-esque ‘Out For The Count’, and ‘Adventures Of My Liver And Lungs’ that could easily be a Frank Turner b-side, all sitting comfortably side-by-side on this album.
My personal favourite however has to be ‘D.I.Y Or Die’ – a proud homage to the UK’s punk rock scene. I can easily hear the chorus becoming a group sing-a-long moment at DP gigs over the coming months.
There are however some odd effects used on the vocals in certain places – an echo in ‘Wolf’ doesn’t seem necessary but maybe it’s just personal taste. I also feel that every now and then the vocals are strained needlessly; Dan’s got a good vocal range but there are a handful of occasions where he strays out of it.
On the whole though, this is a very strong release. While some songs are better than others, there is no filler, and Dan manages to engage you throughout. If you’re a fan of Frank or Chuck, I’d certainly recommend Ducking Punches.
Ducking Punches is the stage moniker for Dan Allen, with the occasional help of some extra backing vocals and violin playing. His debut album is a collection of well-written folk driven acoustic punk rock numbers, which at times seem like they’re drenched in whisky, southern USA style.
The most pertinent feature of this full length is the thoroughly thought out song structures. No song sounds the same, with each track having its own identity. There’s the jaunty folk-punk ditty ‘Punk Rock Girl’, the Chuck Ragan-esque ‘Out For The Count’, and ‘Adventures Of My Liver And Lungs’ that could easily be a Frank Turner b-side, all sitting comfortably side-by-side on this album.
My personal favourite however has to be ‘D.I.Y Or Die’ – a proud homage to the UK’s punk rock scene. I can easily hear the chorus becoming a group sing-a-long moment at DP gigs over the coming months.
There are however some odd effects used on the vocals in certain places – an echo in ‘Wolf’ doesn’t seem necessary but maybe it’s just personal taste. I also feel that every now and then the vocals are strained needlessly; Dan’s got a good vocal range but there are a handful of occasions where he strays out of it.
On the whole though, this is a very strong release. While some songs are better than others, there is no filler, and Dan manages to engage you throughout. If you’re a fan of Frank or Chuck, I’d certainly recommend Ducking Punches.
Thursday 8 July 2010
Blog attempt No. 2.
Welcome to my second attempt at keeping an up-to-date blog. I had mediocre success previously (http://themediocremessage.wordpress.com), but this time I aim to step it up a gear, maybe get a bit of help from some friends, and provide anyone that stumbles across this page with reviews, news, interviews and possibly a bit of 'art' thrown in.
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