Five Simple Words,
OnslowI suppose it should be hard to review a CD by a band I’m pretty close to, seeing as they gave my band our first leg up onto the gig circuit as well as being damn fine drinking buddies. It might be tempting to suggest that there’s a touch of bias here but the fact is that Onslow have come up with an absolute peach of an EP, firmly laying to rest the doubts that surfaced after the underachieving ‘Drink Till She’s Fit’.
The most striking thing about ‘Five Simple Words’ is that Onslow can write the best choruses this side of Pennywise. From the gang-style shoutalong that punches through ‘Show Shine For You Sir?’ to the superbly confident melodies that elevate ‘All Those Lost Days’ above the fare of most other more-established bands, English or otherwise. Hugely catchy punk rock is the order of the day here and Onslow demonstrate that they are comfortable in a genre that usually has its detractors moaning about a lack of originality or not enough wife-beater, meathead beatdowns. The incorporation of a jaunty off-beat vibe to ‘Shoe Shine…’ could have been a potential pitfall but they handle it well, never dwelling for too long on a motif that may have become boring after too long.
‘All Those Lost Days’ is by far and away Onslow’s finest moment, and it stands proud as a fantastically energetic punk anthem in the truest sense, all swooping harmonies and breathless pace offset by Greg’s distinctively Gurewitz-esque vocals and Alex’s machine-like drumming. It alone suggests that the ‘slow could break out of the Norwich toilet circuit, as it positively bubbles with aggressive potential. ‘World Equals Bad Mess’ succeeds due to the interplay between Chris’s always-sterling guitar work and Steve’s frenetic basslines, which have improved immeasurably in a ridiculously short period of time. Again, it’s all about the chorus here, with the soaring harmonies contrasting superbly with the crunching rhythm section as on ‘Serving Suggestions’, which opens with a well-executed vocal line before slipping into a blindingly-fast verse that simple refuses to let up, careering along like a hyperactive toddler being pushed down a hill by an evil sibling.
‘Five Simple Words’ is an accomplished, comfortable-sounding EP that deserves to turn more than a few heads. Exhibiting a confident sound that doesn’t slip into cliché even if Onslow may need a few more tricks up their sleeves if they’re going to become a truly valuable band. But as it stands, this should be heard by a lot of people, and signals the arrival of a genuinely promising punk rock band on the scene. If you live in Norfolk and haven’t seen this lot, do it now.
Ben
www.onslowmusic.co.uk
