The world according to Resolution 242 is full of corrupt bankers, bent politicians, a global illuminati controlling all the evils known to mankind, and an unquestioning media. In case you hadn’t guessed, this is a band adopting a political ethos and not some frilly pop-rock band. Now, before you turn off, hear this; Resolution 242 is not one of those ‘preachy’ bands. Yes, there’s a political message in the lyrics but it’s delivered in what can best be described as a positive manner, infiltrating acoustic guitars with a ska sound that’s accompanied by a whole slew of instrument jiggery-pokery.
Opening track “Bullets in the Ground” is a funky dub reggae number, recalling everyone from Suicide Bid to Sublime. It’s littered with scratching and big bass sounds, a real killer opening to this (mini?) album. It’s a style the band revisits on the likes of “Gaza Dub” and “Britain’s Nasty Politics” (which opens like Dre’s “California Love”, sweet) and seems the most likely route this young (very young) band will follow in the future.
Away from the ska resonance, Resolution 242 tends to strip back to an acoustic punk that’s highlighted with the sound of 60’s rebellion. The harmonica, tambourine and strings on “I.M.F.” hark back to the protest days when Bob Dylan was still an anti establishment powerhouse. It’s an anarchistic viewpoint but any vile spit is replaced by a sensibility and joviality that makes it a much more noteworthy number. Across the record this sentiment is reflected with accompanying melodica, organ and billodica (which I’m assured has nothing to do with the bird-watching Goodie). It’s varied and oh so precious.
The stand-out on this eight-tracker is “War Crimes” a song that sums up the viewpoint of that opening paragraph all in one fell swoop. A fat sample of a speech from political commentator David Icke (focusing on his ‘Problem Reaction Solution’ theory) escorts a mash of heavy dub beats, upstrokes and a bigger-than-big bassline. Lyrically it’s essential as well.
If there’s a point where this self-titled offering comes up short it’s that it doesn’t quite hold together as one. There’s a sense that these are individual recording gathered over a longer period of time rather than a comprehensive piece of work. “The Solution?” for example sounds a little tacked on, although the differing female vocal suggests that future releases could have a multiple vocal attack akin to The Skints or Sonic Boom Six. Still, for a band that’s not much beyond the legal age of smoking who recorded this in a bedroom, that’s only to be expected.
Summed up, ‘Resolution 242‘ is a record that packs a funky reggae punch, impressively so for such an early outing. File this alongside The King Blues‘ debut, ‘Under the Fog’ (the original Householdname Records version) and the current troop of acoustic-punk reactionaries. The sound of revolt is sounding good. Real good.
Alex