Album Review

The Chapman Family – Cruel Britannia EP

• 11th Jun 2012

The Chapman Family have been quiet, in a recording sense at least, since the release of last year’s excellent debut album, Burn Your Town. Changes to the band’s line up and live dates have kept them busy, of course. But now they are back with a new EP, full of the dark and energetic politically charged songs that make the North East’s finest such a great band.

The EP consists of four superb new songs and a cover of an old one from Morrissey. As its title suggests, this is not a jingoistic celebration of Britain’s summer. Rather it is a stark assessment of the real country, the place beneath the layers of bunting and media hype where the real people struggle to live. It’s the ultimate response to the “we are all in this together” talk of our government.

No More Tears kicks things off in typical Chapman Family fashion with heavy guitars and pounding drums before the wonderfully strong baritone vocals come in. The song calls for change, for an end to war and death. “No more lies. No more fear. No more hate. No more tears” is repeated in the background, the chant finally breaking through to become a heartfelt plea for action. It’s powerful and it’s to the point.

Cruel Britannia has been a highlight of the band’s live shows for some time now. But the timing of this release inevitably ties it to the jubilee and it could be a bid for an alternative national anthem. It examines the rise of the far right in times of nationalistic fervour and paints a dismal, if accurate, picture of a country battered into submission. “You’re red, white, black and blue. You’re cruel Britannia,” spits Kingsley with real venom.

This English Life follows on by satirising the complacency of the country as the economy fails. The drums drive the song in an almost glam rock fashion as reverb rich guitars dominate and the vocals tell us that, “This English life is falling apart”. The message of no hope and no action is bluntly presented as a problem that no one is even trying to answer.

Summer Song is slower in pace but no less powerful than the first three tracks. The verses see the vocal competing with an insistent drum beat and a synth rhythm as well as the ever present guitars. Lyrically it marks the end of a relationship in bleak fashion, describing love fading to nothing. The track builds to a final sonic assault as distorted guitars feedback to end it. This one has been played live under the title of Eat Shit and Die, but the rebranding does nothing to diminish its effect.

Morrissey’s Everyday Is Like Sunday is stripped back to just a keyboard and vocals. It’s bleak and starkly presented, allowing the lyrics to come through, and it fits well here as a coda to the four original songs. I’m not a fan of the original but this cover is a decent way to end a fine EP.

Success has somehow eluded The Chapman Family so far. Perhaps their musical style and lyrical content doesn’t chime with the mainstream. But, as this EP shows, these guys have too much integrity to do anything other than write about how they feel and play the way they love to play. And I for one wouldn’t want them to do anything else – because they are so dammed good at what they do.

Perhaps one day the rest of the country will catch up with what many of us already know: The Chapman Family are an excellent band who deserve much more recognition.