Bigwig have been a band that have always passed me by. I’m not sure why as I have friends who swear by them, but they just seemed to always float past me whenever they’ve released anything new. And if it wasn’t for those very nice people at Fearless, I very much doubt I would be listening to this record now. But I’m glad that I am…
‘Waste’ is everything that I expected of the band. It’s fast and furious with some blinding melodic, yet metal-esque, guitar solos. And ‘Sink Or Swim’, as featured on the Warped Tour comp, carries this on, with some fantastic musicianship going on. These guys are very, very talented musicians indeed.
‘Sore Losers’ is almost as fast as the previous two tracks, but still doesn’t lose an inch of melody. Infact, it’s absolutely superb. Where have this band been all my life? ‘Moosh’ is much more obvious and almost MxPx like in sound, but it’s the little guitar fill-ins that really show Bigwig‘s talents. This lot are a band that are inventive and different to many of their peers. ‘Thinning The Herd’ whacks things up a notch, with vocalist Tom really screaming his head off. In comparison, ‘Mr Asshole’ is all about the guitars, before Tom again yells his head off. But it’s more melodic than it sounds.
‘Blinded’ drops the screaming for a more melodic tune which doesn’t sound that dissimilar to some H2O stuff. It’s still very good though, with the background vocals adding an extra layer and the guitars are once again outstanding. Mustn’t forget the drums either, which are creative and pacy throughout. ‘Hope’ is slower and a lot more considered, showing that Bigwig are much more than a generic speed-punk foursome. It’s a nice variant to the record too. But fear not, ‘Counting Down’ cranks the volume back up to 11 and with some pounding drums again, fans will certainly lap this up. ‘Alone In New Jersey‘ is outstanding, and catches everything that makes up a great punk song. It’s catchy as hell, yet doesn’t compromise what the band are best at. Superb stuff.
‘Appreciation’ is a bit similar to some of the other tracks and doesn’t really stand out from the rest, unlike ‘Who Am I To Say’ which, although blatantly paying homage to old-skool metal, is a great song. Closer ‘Static’ is the longest track on the album, weighing in at nearly three and a half minutes, and is slightly slower than some of the songs. But it is this mix of styles that makes for an interesting and varied listen.
If you haven’t yet checked out this New Jersey bunch, you really should. Accept their invitation, and you won’t be disappointed.
Paul Savage