It’s not overly surprising that Tunbridge Wells punk duo Slaves are enjoying commercial success. At least superficially, the pair have something to say. In a political climate where despondency is common place, Slaves attempt to offer the everyman’s opinion in their style of delivery. Delving a little deeper may question their true understanding of the issues which have clearly made them so irate, but on the surface, ‘Are You Satisfied?’ is an angry retort to social norms.
It’s an image that they’ve been cultivating for some time; be it their fashion sense or their clever juxtaposition of bravado and intimacy in their online profiles. Deliberately – if not a little spuriously – edgy and angry, there’s a safe ferocity in all that Slaves have delivered up until this point. On ‘Are You Satisfied?’, the two-piece continue their filtered anger. The type of anger that engages with the masses, be it for better or worse.
Drawing inevitable Royal Blood comparisons – the most recent duo to launch into the big time – Slaves drawn on their bluesy rock and inject a diluted dose of Sex Pistols’ venom. This is predominantly successful, elevated by the crass snippets of attitude that run throughout ‘Are You Satisfied?’. Yet coming in at around the thirty seven minute mark, this debut struggles to stay interesting. By the end of it, even Slaves appear to be confused over what they are angry about.
Underneath the cockiness, the brazen attitude and the spitting anger, ‘Are You Satisfied?’ lacks substance. The entire record is built upon a single moment of inspiration which struggles to stretch any further. Slaves have an undoubted instant commercial appeal, but these rebels need to find their cause before it’s all just irrelevant noise.
BEN TIPPLE