Familiar but enjoyable effort from UK punks
Plenty of easily recognisable punk rock staples are touched upon here, on this, Guns On The Roof’s latest single from album 'New Frustration'.
There are distant, shouted, backing vocals, woh-ohs a’ plenty, machine-gun drumming and rapid, jagged guitar lines. By combining so much that is so familiar they nail their colours well and truly to the mast for all to see.
Whilst the initial flavour is distinctly Amercian punk, ala Rancid and early Green Day, the bitter aftertaste is most definitely British. As such the group possess character and construct an identity. Not simply wannabe Bay Area punks there’s a scuzzyness to 'Shattered Feeling' which is unmistakably British. It’s like a lukewarm cup of petrol station tea.
Which is not to say 'Shattered Feeling' lacks melody, and indeed the chorus is clear and bright and should see itself lodged into many a brain’s memory loop.
So whilst there is nothing revolutionary going on here, and there really isn’t (this is punk as a genre, not an ethic) there is plenty to enjoy.