#plasticpassion

19/10/25

Opens a post-punk introduction guitar sequence reminiscent of yesteryear greats such as A Certain Ratio, also revivalists Moving Units from across the pond on track 1 'Pass It Over' by Essex son's Plastic Passion: Lemmi - bass/vox, Glenn - guitar, & Mike - drums (the cream of the artrock crop), followed by a bass heavy rhythm and throttling verses snotty and brattish, yet accomplished with the lyrics "Life can be an exciting sound" in the bridge beating drums bounce into a chorus reassuring us this is all temporary. Track 2 'File Under' begins with high hat action classic 6/8 drum disco beat and Bloc Party Kele meets Lydon PIL era + R. Smith style vocal. A dance rock groove-tastic chorus belts its way through a dark club on the streets of Shoreditch mid noughties where they well and truly belonged alongside buddies Neils Children, Twisted Charm, and Electricity In Our Homes! Anyone remember the Only Fun In Town events run by John Linger and Brandon Jacobs in Cheshunt?, the line ups were always 11/10, even for a small village pub gig. Track 3 'We Have Come So Far' is the track that I first heard by them on Myspace (Remember that as well?) when they had only recorded a few demo's which they sent me and I not long ago uploaded to YouTube so hunt for it. This is the song that blew my head off with lyrics "Shake it, Shake it, Shake it, Baby" surfacing a sound full of jolted and jaggered razor sharp riffage including a bass line that is as catchy as any of Simon Gallup's of The Cure in the early years, also B.R.M.C.'s, even Test Icicles. I always loved the vocal delay on this one and it inspired me to use the same formula on The Gaa Gaa's 'Entertainment' which has always been seen as our 'I Hate Models', also our demo of 'V.O.L.T.A.I.R.E.' so thank you lads. Track 4 'Homage' with a guitar intro so catchy you'll have it stuck in your head for eternity, pure indie club riffage, also this tune has the best vocal panning I've heard since The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster's debut album. A true indie dance off song, and how this band were not bigger I don't know. Musically they pissed all over most groups that were hyped up. I'd rather listen to this over The Strokes any day of the week. Not that I don't appreciate the American indie market, but British groups were doing something far more interesting during the post Britpop/New Millennium wave and you can hear that here in every single second of each and every song. Track 5 'Look Around' is a feral indie art punk beast stormer about anxiety and paranoia as it builds to a climax of gradual progressive sheer turmoil of the best kind .Track 6 'Scratching At The Door' is the closest thing you'll hear to a zone-out Blur b-side from any group of this time, such a great break down pace of pessimism and unfulfilled hopes and dreams leading perfectly to what's up next. Track 7 'Not Art' was their first 7" single out on Leaving Home Records and is a massive stab at contemporary artist Tracey Emin and her talentless artwork such as they mean it. There's no place for her and her world of dread with cutting lyrics "Look there's a bed that I haven't made, and look how much that I've been paid" Lemmi sings so classily caustic pure and from the heart. An artrock anthem in its own right. Johnny Rotten himself would be scared of the skills and that I do believe (with bells on). Track 8 'It's Been Done' is realism on a plate of broken glass stood on by a whole crowd at Futurama Festival in its most classic 1979 setting, filled with prominent funk-punk bass patterns and stabbing guitar fusion. Track 9 'Beneath The Light' is the song I most think of when I have this album in mind displaying immense structure throughout alas perfect breakdowns almost like their 'Banquet' even, with the greatest chorus of the whole menu by far. Track 10 'Stops' finishes this montage of art-punk and dark indie screamers in pure definitive fashion. Only available in Japan from Yes New Noise Recordings on File Under Records so find this ASAP and feed it to your lobsters. The artwork alone will blow your face off!!! BOOM

10/10 **********

By Gavin Tate

for Gavin Tate's Music Journal