There’s only one thing worse than a bad punk record, and that’s a bad punk record from a once great band. From the appalling record title to the frankly dire cover ‘art’, this album is just not the Ten Foot Pole we all know and love. It’s more like the Ten Foot Pole we all like a little bit and can listen to from time to time. While I still have a soft spot for the ‘Pole, I can’t help but feel that this is rushed and is lacking the ingenuity that previous releases contained in bucket loads. From their inspired debut ‘Rev’ to 99’s ‘Insider’, TFP have always been a band you could bet your bottom dollar on to produce the goods. Unfortunately, this time the hooks are predictable, the lyrics are, on the whole, uninspired and the whole album sounds flat and the production is muddy, especially on the drums.
So where did it all go wrong? Well, ‘Plastic’ is certainly not a good way to start a record. Sounding like a song Lagwagon discarded from their Double Plaidinum opus, it promises much but delivers little, which basically sums up ‘Bad Mother Trucker’. After waiting for 3 years for this, I feel let down, cheated and even a little angry. Some of the songs (‘Happy Daze’ for example) seem like an after thought, and don’t do the record any favours.
On the flip side, however, you have belting little numbers like ‘Nova Scotia’ and ‘One Hero’, which bring back beautiful memories (even if ‘One Hero’ does remind me of a Queen song on the chorus!). ‘Nova Scotia’ in particular is a fantastic number. Faster than a speeding train and backed up by some truly furious drumming from Kevin Ruggeri, it is exactly what the rest of the album should have been.
I know that originality is not the be all and end all of music (especially punk rock!) but a little ingenuity and innovation goes a long way. Even when TFP do try and mix it up a bit, with the Kevin Ruggeri vocals and lyrics on ‘Shelter’ and the mid paced, Drive Thru punk of album closer ‘Riptide’, they fall just short of the mark. Bad songs they may not be, but unremarkable is certainly the perfect word to describe them.
Unless you are a huge TFP fan (like I am) I really wouldn’t recommend this at all. While ‘Armchair Quarterback’ is an angsty little number worthy of a second listen, ‘Sarah Jones’ a melodic, and almost anthemic gem and the previously mentioned ‘Nova Scotia’ a rip roaring classic up there with ‘The Getaway’ and ‘Nothing To lose’ as timeless Ten Foot Pole classics, the rest of the songs just don’t live up to the expectations that were certainly present in many fans hearts.
So exactly what did happen then? Was it the departure of Scott before ‘Insider’? The tragic death of Leigh Lawson, or the 3 year gap between records that depleted the ambition, style and giant hook filled genius of this band? Who knows, but I for will be praying for a return to form sooner rather than later. A very average record from a once truly special band.
Ross