There’s nothing worse than having to review a cd by a friends band, or at worst somebody you have come to know quite well. For Punktastic Sniper Wolf fit into both categories. With vocalist ‘Slick’ Nick one of the founder regular members of the forums, Punktastic has watched Sniper Wolf grow into the beast that it has now become. But at the same time it makes it even harder for us to give constructive criticism and/or praise when we deem it necessary, as you hope the relative parties can take it in their stride. This makes it all the harder to say that ‘Sniper Wolf‘, the band’s first official release, just isn’t as good as it could be.
The band’s slogan is ‘blurring the boundaries between good and bad’ and this could not be more true. Hailing from Middlesex, this mob play a brand of Screeching Weasels and The Queers style pop-punk, which at times has enough melody to have even the most hardened hardcore fan nodding along in appreciation. But for far too many moments on this EP all we get is averageness. But having said that, it is only a demo and it is still very early days in their career.
Opener ‘Girl In The Purple Jumper’ is probably the best track here. Smart, good lyrically and with enough zest and zip to give you an early morning kick, the track also shows that the band do infact know how to write a tune. ‘Hung Out To Dry’ labours and plods its way through the best part of three minutes while ‘Wrath Of You’ eventually gets going, but takes its time. Nick’s vocals even come across like a cockney Billy Corgan – or at least they do to me. But without the snarling of opening song ‘Girl In The Purple Jumper’, Sniper Wolf are nothing special at all.
One thing to notice throughout is the scuzzed up and general DIY tone of the recording and while this goes down a treat on the likes of the opening song, at others it labours the sound and really doesn’t do the band any favours at all. Thumbs up for trying to keep interesting and remaining true to the punk-rock ethic, but when it is to the detriment of the song itself you’re left to shake your head. ‘Power Of Me’ is a vast improvement, just because of the sheer pace of the thing. Nick’s vocals, which tend to be on the weak side throughout, are stronger here than on some of the songs and it once again proves that Sniper Wolf can write a decent song.
‘Daydreaming Girl’ is as close to the Ramones as the band have come yet, but without the knack of closing in on that catchy chorus. Again the vocals tend to plod along without any passion or get-up-and-go, and it’s this valuable ‘x’factor which costs the record a full star. The song itself hints that Sniper Wolf have catchy songs – just on this record they don’t quite seem to be utilised to full effect. ‘The World Stood Still’ features a fantastic opening drum burst, but sounds too alike to the other tracks, while closer ‘Anything Can Happen’ again has its moments.
So after reading this I probably won’t have any friends left in the band, but in all seriousness Sniper Wolf show glimpses that they are on the right tracks. But in looking at recreating a DIY style production, the band have forgotten that the music also needs a punk rock ethic and the pace and urgency in some of the songs is sadly lacking. This means it simply does not stand out as well as it probably should and does blur boundaries indeed.
Paul