If you’ve heard Swedish street-punks Da Skywalkers before and liked them, chances are you’ll very much enjoy their new release on Household Name. There’s been no change in sound to suit the current “in” genre, as DS stick to a relatively winning formula. Coming across like Rancid or the Dropkick Murphys, with a bit more Swedish style and influence thrown in for good measure, this is a solid 8-tracker which takes in 20+ minutes of solid punk rock.
‘Heartache and Scars’ boasts a minor line-up change from their last album, also released on HHN, but you probably wouldn’t notice the difference if you didn’t know. The socially-conscious lyrics of old, combined with the (at times) brash and abrasive guitar riffs, make for a delightful din. What Da Skywalkers do best is combine their punk rock attitude with plenty of melodies, and it’s this winning formula which makes the band an enjoyable listen. ‘In Your Corner’ and ‘Impossible’ are good, solid efforts, led by a heavy bassline and plenty of gruff, yet melodic, vocals.
If you’ve enjoyed Da Skywalkers work in the past, then you’ll almost certainly enjoy ‘Heartache and Scars’ too. Even though this kind of music usually isn’t my thing, I’ve possibly enjoyed it more because it’s seemingly refreshing and different – let’s face it, if every other CD you’ve reviewed in the last month has screaming, unneccessary synth or sounds like Busted, you’d be begging for something with a bit more bite. It’s another solid release by Household Name, but then that’s what we come to expect, isn’t it?
Paul