Personal Punk review NECKHOLE, POSITIVE REACTION, MAGIC OF THE MARKETPLACE and SHREDS new CDs
- david1170
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
French mainstays NECKHOLE may take inspiration from past times, but these eight tracks emerge sounding supremely fresh. The jittery pop of Falling Down is all late 70s new-wave with a DEVO vocal and a carefree punk injection, while the skinny-tie power-pop of Here She Comes is propulsive, catchy fun with a killer hook. The hardcore-tinged The Brain speeds up proceedings for a rollicking good time before the centre-piece title track starts slow and sinister with a building, Enter Sandman-esque riff. This ain’t no METALLICA though; Stark, exuding danger, with all the changing moods and cathartic outbursts of a grunge BAUHAUS, in a just world this would be a timeless post-punk classic. The restless, punky pop of Hitchhiker crawls with herky-jerky energy, including the gleeful use of a sitar, the edgy Headlines seethes with NOMEANSNO unpredictability and, by now, you might not be surprised by Afford‘s uber-catchy power-pop riff, but you really won’t expect the lilting reggae breakdown. The frantic No Motivation ends on a high with an itchy, sharp-edged banger, oozing hooky melodies and catchy lines to leave you wanting more.
Think FRANZ FERDINAND as upstart punks. Think hardcore nerds mainlining DEVO. Think cheek, confidence, synapse-firing celebration and free creative desire. Think all those things at once. PLAY LOUD!
South Wales’ POSITIVE REACTION come out strong with this crunching debut EP. While none of these songs go long – two are a little over two minutes, two even shorter – and as much as I love speed, these four songs are all the better for their lack of haste. These are songs crafted, yes, with passion and defiance, but also with great care and a palpable sense of community. The grinding metallic riff and barked vocals of the title track really get in your head, ditto the neat guitar line and repetition of the mid-paced, chugging Why? Building Something and Burn It Down exude togetherness; the former’s crew chorus mantra is moreish, the latter’s dirty, driving punk propulsive, both indulging in just a little soloing, ‘cos why not? If, as the label bio states, they “take their lead from such legendary bands as NEGATIVE APPROACH and AGNOSTIC FRONT…” then these four songs would touch on the slower side. Me? I hear the muscular defiance of Sweden’s RAISED FIST, just swap the plush studio for a basement.
Whatever their influences, POSITIVE REACTION, while not reinventing the wheel, follow a sound less travelled. Stomping ‘n chugging, community-space punk brimming with heart; bands like this are the very essence of true DIY scenes, creating their sonics without fear or favour for trends. “Don’t you feel like we’re building something”? Indeed!
There’s an endearing, heart-on-sleeveness to these four rockin’ punk songs; Jealous Moon‘s grit, all triumphant singalong, tidy guitar line and power-pop sensibility, think EDDIE & THE HOT RODS attempting to keep RANCID and HOT WATER MUSIC apart. A UK power-pop vibe allows Smile And Wave‘s great revving guitar to soak through its flannel shirt, the uber-catchy Walls keeps the SLF guitar engine running for more catchy positivity, and False Relationships adds a touch of THE GREAT ST LOUIS gravel to the melodies. Solid.
Fourteen tracks, twenty-four minutes. Short, sharp hardcore, rooted in an early 80s US-style, sprinkled with a gnarly UK thud. The music is a thrill; drilling bass, sharp, thrashing guitar, and tight drums, but the suitably rough and ready vocals suffer from being too up front. Such jarring separation results in an inorganic, forced quality, like the singer recorded his vocals over music tracked weeks before, while reading from the lyric sheet. Hopefully, this will be ironed out as they progress, and, in any case, the blunt Micromanager, the 37-second doss Bored Of Skating, the more off-beat Take A Walk and the pummelling ‘n poundin’ This Is Not A Test manage to rise above. Sock It To Me and Earache drift into UK82 territory, particularly on the former’s VICE SQUAD musical histrionics. Refreshing lyrical conceits concentrate on the mundane minutiae of life, albeit with the air of angry teenager rather than middle-aged man. That said, Step Back contains all the finger-pointing crew shouts, breakdowns and super-fast, ratatat hardcore you could want. I look forward to what comes next.
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