Winners of XFM Manchester best unsigned band, The Scratch release their much anticipated debut and in doing so deliver us a proper punk album. Released on their own label Ponyland Records, Night bus or Milktrain embodies everything that punk music is about. In a time when major labels are throwing money at mediocre bands in an effort to discover the ‘next big thing’ you have to take your hat off to The Scratch who have done it all by themselves.
It’s not hard to see why they have built up such a loyal following on the London circuit or why a certain Clint Boon thinks they could go all the way. It took me approximately 30 seconds into the first song and current single Numbers to think that Mr Boon could be onto something. Night bus or Milk Train is a blistering set of songs that fuses retro and new wave punk and leaves me with a smile on my face after one listen.
It is the simplicity of The Scratch, which makes them so appealing. They might not be as lyrically strong as other bands around at the moment but who needs flowery Dickensian verses when The Scratch have songs such as Dial Xero and Critical Mass that will linger in your sub-conscious long after your first listen.
It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you’re bored of the same old thing and have got an itch for something different, The Scratch could be the band for you.
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