Artist: The Shadowcops
Title: A Big Pot Of Hot
Type: Album
Label: TNS Records

A big pot of hot what? Poop, gravy, curry; who knows, although seeing as this lot come from places including Lancashire it could be a big pot of hot pot! Not too sure why we suddenly ended up with this as the album seems to have come out in February and the band are already hard at work on the follow up to this. Typically it turns up on what could well be the busiest month as well, this aside it has been given a few spins and passes the rigorous test of what sort of punk we will include on the site. Basically although heavily melodic this is in no ways pop punk and the band keep things true to the proper cause although it sits a bit on the side of the US bands namely Husker Du, something which the Shadowcops acknowledge on their MySpace.

They romp through 12 tracks in just over 30 minutes and start off with jagged riffing and antsy vocals on ‘Vehement Subterfuge.’ The chorus when it hits swaggers along with a touch of bands as varied as Stiff Little Fingers, via the Ramones. It’s pretty simple stuff and it’s catchy and that is all that really matters. Without missing a beat we are into ‘Putsch’ and the guitars carry on playing the same riffs before a break into a bit of USHC style melody with plenty of gang shouts of ‘Fuck All’ making it all a bit Dag Nasty. Again there is a bit of a change with melody reminiscent of Leatherface and Snuff all over ‘Vaulted Sky,’ and although this might not be the most original, which you can tell by all the namedropping in this review, they are ticking all the right boxes. ‘The Sleeper Awakes’ sees the mob at their fastest and the song cracks along with attitude and fiery guitar riffs which even have a bit of a stoner vibe about them when the track calms down into a long instrumental jam.

The mid section of the album lets me down a bit with ‘Folie a Deux’ coming in a bit too close to the likes of 3 Colours Red and ‘Mona’ going through unnecessary pub rock instrumental histrionics. That aside there’s a lot to enjoy here like the Buzzcocks singalong romp of ‘The Age Of Common Sense,’ the riot laden ‘Calling Out The Elders’ and the general name the band retro trip the album takes you through. I’d be interested to hear the follow up when it’s finished and if this sounds up your street its only £6 plus p&p via the band.

http://www.myspace.com/theshadowcops
http://www.theshadowcops.co.uk

Pete Woods

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