Album Review

Sense Of Urgency, Stand Out Riot, A WarAgainstSound – TNS Records Split Album

2nd Jan 2010

TNS Records enthusiastically continues their war against falseness and commercialism by unleashing a treble barrelled weapon, encapsulating nearly everything that UK Ska doused punk has to offer.

Building on the success of recent split EPs and releases (for example their well received split EP Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man Vs The Fractions). TNS Records bring together three of the most out-there and in-it-for-the-love-of-it acts on the Northern underground scene at the moment.

Leading off are The Vandals spirited, ska spurted and old skool punk leaning, Sense Of Urgency from Stoke. Joe Reilly’s vocals possess grizzle, rhythm and force in the snappy sub-two minute lament to losing your mind, ‘Lowbrow’. It leaves you feeling like you’ve been slapped across the face 45 times in one minute with a wet kipper and, then feeling like you’ve been handed a scented towel to clean yourself up with, by way of a funky horn fuelled ska outro. A hardcore gloss, contrasts with the horn siren to give ‘The Night We Exploded’, a gruffer vibe.

The dual genre, dual alto sax utilising, feral ska punk upstarts, Stand Out Riot continues to grow in freshness and builds upon their energetic and rough around the edge debut album, ‘Carnival Militia’ (out now on TNS Records). In ‘This Is Not A Movement’, they have conjured up a horn shoved battle cry for the disenfranchised youths of today. Showing them that not all solutions can be found with help from a mouse:

“It’s time to get out your swivel chair, and face the real world. Where I problems can’t be solved by the usernames involved.”

Francis Hunt’s hurried almost chanted vocals speak of defiance and bemusement, making full use of the tempo increasing ability of percussionist, Graham Aspinall. The horns take on a slower, slightly more jazz toe in ‘Laws And Hors’douvres’. It’s a mature exposure of the abuse of authority in the constabulary. Multi-vocals make for a varied attack that includes elements of anger, rhythm and heart.

Stand Out Riot are showing a continued broadness in range and ability (especially Francis Hunt, who also provides the striking and expressive illustrations that decorates the album cover). It is getting nigh on impossible for excitement from underground aficionados not to accompany every release of theirs.

Blackburn/Manchester quartet, A WarAgainstSound put a lid on this fresh exposure of underground talent, including the jaunty and bemused parade, ‘To Fraud A Cause’. It features a cyclical and almost hypnotic guitar grind. Reggae and ska guitar outburst keeps the sound fresh and ranging, helping the band’s epic leanings.

It is only fitting the last word goes to the stalwartly independent label, TNS Records. In true ‘Mock The Week’ fashion, the album sleeve contains the top statement that you will hardly ever see on an album sleeve these days: Bands maintain © of the tracks!