No Guitars were Harmed in the Recording of this Album*
John Kenny is known for launching his guitar during a live performance… 2 Sevens launch their debut album Back on Track on an unsuspecting public today. I’ve witnessed pictures of his broken guitars and In a broken Britain (there is a slight irony on the album title given current circumstances) the album is a much needed tonic, its a lot of fun, one of these albums that you put on to blow the cobwebs away and just blast out some good old punk rock n roll.
With a name like they have, you can probably work out where their key influences come from, and without meaning any disrespect to the band, that is exactly what you get on Back on Track. 10 slices of good old fashioned “old skool” punk. They won’t win any prizes for breaking new ground, but isn’t that just what you need sometimes? Something that you can instantly connect with, that you can slide into the car CD player (yeah, proof that there is nothing wrong with old skool), wind the windows down (do you still wind down windows?) and crank up the volume on sunny summer days (or wet and miserable Glasgow summer days). That’s about as close as this 52 year old gets to Anarchy these days…
As if to prove a point, the band dive straight in, not giving a shit about the old arguments, that seem to come round in cycles, about who invented punk, the US or the UK, by combining the biggest names from each country and mashing up a song, Rosie K, about lobotomies with Steve Jones riffs. What’s not to like? Melodious Buzzcocks stylings and rhythms abound on Place in the Sun with a standout bassline, and a Heartbreakers style mid section.
Johnny Thunders references link into the first verse lyrics of Diary of a Junkie, the subject of the lyrics appropriating guitar strings for other purposes. A great bass/drum intro to Little Lost Boy with plenty of punk rock riffing a la Pistols, while Hey Louise, a love songs of sorts opens with a growling riff, before bursting into an energetic romp, the ball of furious energy overlapping into Into You, also a love song of sorts, but this time unrequited, a low key break revealing a hypnotic bassline. The band take their lead from arguably the most successful punk band that were rooted in the first wave of punk and cover the Toots and the Maytals classic Pressure Drop, or should that be 2 Sevens covering the Clash covering Toots & the Maytals?
Howling histrionic guitars on I Can’t Take It paired with the thunder of drums and crashing cymbals and a potent bassline reflect the exasperated desperation of the lyrics perfectly. A Man With a Plan is packs a punch with its driving rhythm and backing harmonies. The album closes with the soaraway melody of Your Song, don’t worry, its not a cover of the Elton John standard, instead its perhaps one of the highlights of the album for me, it moves more into post punk territory for me, and it reminds me of something, but I can’t I can’t quite put my finger on. Anyway, If I’m listening to the lyrics correctly its an anti-hate song with a hopeful and positive melody. A great uplifting way to end the album.
Despite the band constantly playing gigs, I still haven’t managed to get along and see them live. Hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to correct that soon…
*I can’t guarantee this