Released: 18th September 2020
Rating: ★★★★
Another debut album from a punk band, you say? It’s fair to say that over the past couple of years, the platter has been filled with a fair share of delights to tuck into. With so many voices rife within a scene of bands, it adds another question to A.Swayze & The Ghosts. How do you stand out after all that? What ‘Paid Salvation’ does expertly is dismiss the idea of elbow-jostling competition, but instead punches and swaggers its way into view as an enjoyable pop-laden record pure with immediate energy.
Touching upon politics, immigration, consumer culture, hate, human rights and much more – ‘Paid Salvation’ thrives best when tight and catchy hooks meld effortlessly with a sense of urgent power. ‘Connect To Consume’, ‘It’s Not Alright’, and ‘Cancer’ are just select examples from an album full of confidence and feverish fun. At times sounding like FIDLAR at their lung-busting singalong best, at times boasting a levelled whip of Rolling Blackouts C.F and at times roaring like The Ramones on a triple-shot of whisky – what ‘Paid Salvation’ does best is not try to be anything that it isn’t. It’s the exact dose of punk ferocity that bristles with anger and frustration, but does so in a way that makes you want to delve right onto a dancefloor and pour out those frustrations again and again. Its accessibility is an open invitation to all, and it’s what makes A.Swayze that much more effective.
Think you’ve had enough of punk? Think again – ‘Paid Salvation’ is the party-punk album that sets A.Swayze & The Ghosts apart from the rest of the pack.
Jamie Muir
