Releasing their second album on their own record label Ponyland Records, after having been greatly championed by XFM’s Clint Boon. ‘Night bus or milk train’ is heavily influenced by the 1970s punk scene as well as 90s ‘Madchester’; front man Andy’s voice is half Johnny Rotten/half Ian Brown, an interesting combination but one which works. This is an album which is best enjoyed at a loud volume to give proper credit to the punky guitar riffs and background yelping.
New single ‘numbers’ has echoes of early Manic Street Preachers, starting quietly then building up via a fantastic guitar crescendo to an angry chorus full of lyrics which James Dean Bradfield would be proud of writing. ‘Sister psychosis’ is their more mellow acoustic song, a jangly psychedelic ballad which slightly reminds me of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. If the chilis weren’t so rubbish. ‘Out faking the fakers’ is a return to their original garage punk roots; Andy furiously sneers and spits his way through the song, his voice leaping majestically over a crisp guitar riff.
Overall, ‘Night Bus or milk train’ is a fine indie punk album. Whilst they draw greatly on their punk influences the album is simply not a rehash of a music genre that saw its finest hour thirty years ago. It’s an album that is very fresh, and very now, and one which indicates exactly how much they deserved their title of ‘best unsigned band’.
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