The Shitty Limits are, on in the evidence of this here full length, and in my humble yet meaningless opinion, a hybrid of The Icarus Line, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and The International Noise Conspiracy. Its gritty, English garage, complete with a seeming intense desire to keep things as punk rock as possible. Whatever the fuck that means anymore.
They’ve clearly carved themselves (more carefully than they want to be displayed) a sound and an image that’s pretty distinct – this is as much 1975 as 1981 and as much 1981 as it is 2009 and it’s as much the Stooges as it is Black Flag. The plain cover – the lack of lyrics and thanks list is testament to the kind of band they would like to be perceived as. And I like it.
My problem is that this record is a fairly one dimensional piece. Perhaps that was the idea. But the sense of blending into one makes it not the most rewarding thing to sit and nod your head to. I’m sure the band have some militant fans who will strongly disagree with me, but as someone who hasn’t witnessed the live spectacle, this one is a little lost on me past a couple of tunes. Not that I’m sure the band would give a fuck what I think. And that’s quite cool.
Mike