Released:
Rating:
A battle cry for disillusioned teens.
Label: Big Scary Monsters
Released: September 23rd 2016
Rating: ★★★★
“Play it loud, play it fast” sings Beach Slang frontman James Alex on ‘A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings’ opener ‘Future Mixtape For The Art Kids’, and it’s a mission statement for the rest of the album.
For a band just three years old, they have a chequered history. In April they appeared to split up on stage before drummer JP Flexner left a month later, but this hasn’t affected the music at all with a surprisingly coherent second album.
‘Atom Bomb’ rips into life with the ferocity of a lion’s roar, while ‘Spin The Dial’ has the perfect sound to visualise driving through the desert in a convertible, wind blowing through your hair with no one to stop you – so much so, you’ll feel nostalgic even if you’ve never done it. ‘Art Damage’ hits you square in the face with its refrain of “we’re alive” and its Gaslight Anthem-esque riff run through a distortion pedal.
‘Punks In A Disco Bar’ is the perfect choice for a single with the catchiest riff on the album, while ‘The Perfect High’ makes you want to punch the world in the face and run away but could definitely do with being about a minute shorter. Album closer ‘Warpaint’ snarls like a general rallying his troops to war with the line “don’t be afraid to want to be alive” sounding like a battle cry for disillusioned teens.
Despite all this, there is a not insignificant amount of filler with the likes of ‘Hot Tramps’ & ‘Wasted Daze Of Youth’ failing to quite match the quality of the rest of the album. Still, an excellent listen overall. Josh Williams
