My Fave Records of the Year So Far, Part Three!
An Explosive Cocktail of Mod-Pop-Punk Proves that The Kids Are Alright, and more!
Picture it: London, 2019/2020. Covid is running rampant all over the globe. Some people are dying, other people are denying. Here in the Big Smoke, two bright young siblings called Matthew and Issey are bored and frustrated. They want to play rock and roll, but the pubs and clubs are all shut because of the virus. So they do what the Jam did in 1977. They form a band called the Molotovs, and they take it to the streets.
It’s hard for bands and artists to get noticed these days, whether you are young or a longtime veteran. The sheer overwhelming amount of music that is out there is staggering. Millions of bands and artists in hundreds of genres all competing for the dwindling dollars of the consumer. These days, the ones who already have money are often the ones who “make it”, unlike back in the day (1950s-2000s) when it was the working class who stepped up to deliver all the best pop music, plucked from obscurity by some guiding hand….with money. During the Covid times, many artists used the internet to grab listeners, because everyone was stuck at home staring bleary-eyed at their screens. Matt and Issey, the aforementioned bright young things, knew better. They put on their mod suits and mascara, and set up their gear on the street. Then they did it a few more times. Before long….(see photo below)
Their gigs looked like this. Sure, their easily identifiable mod image, their preening, pouty good looks and their endless youthful energy would of course draw crowds. Scarily enough, though, they also write incredible songs. No stopping them. Celebrity endorsements and social media stardom soon followed, and they began to attract thousands of fans young and old. They even kicked off a movement in the UK of young, sharp dressed bands playing Jam/Clash/Oasis/Libertines influenced Brit Pop. Their gigs moved indoors, and got bigger and bigger. Success!
Their debut album was much anticipated, of course, and it finally arrived in January of this year. Titled “Wasted On Youth” (of course it is), it does not at any time disappoint.
Opening with the incredibly energetic, vivacious Jam-esque anthem “Get A Life” before slamming directly into the early Oasis styled pop of ‘Daydreaming”, this thing is an utterly wholesome, satisfyingly healthy meal of well worn British rock and roll tropes, and much like a plate of the full English, it leaves you satiated and happy when it’s all done. Matt and Issey’s voices blend so well together (family harmony, as we know, is the tightest harmony) and the big guitars, clean production and overall live sounding energy is utterly infectious.
There is no question that this is one of my favorite records of the year. I already know, full stop. You know what you need to do. Go get it!
