And so once again we make acquaintance with The Acoustic Alumni of Punk Rock. Today’s graduate: Tony Sly, No Use For A Name frontman and stripped-down solus debutant. But don’t expect a hastily constructed NUFAN acoustic record. ‘There’d be no point in doing this if it wasn’t different,’ explains Sly. To be honest, if you’re au fait with the ever expanding acoustic punk landscape you probably wouldn’t expect such. I mean, does Frank Turner or Chuck Ragan‘s records sound all that much like their respective bands?
So what does ’12 Song Program’ have that makes it worth a listen? Well, basically it’s pretty darn good. Okay, a little bit more. This is really stripped down stuff. There’re a few orchestral moments but this is mostly one man and his guitar, not all that dissimilar to what Messer’s Turner and Ragan did on their introductory albums. It’s a bold move but one that’s bore out by Sly’s sharp, emotive lyrics and relaxed vocals. In essence, it’s a very simple premise but works very well.
The NUFAN frontman cites Bob Dylan and The Beatles as influences, but musically it’s Paul Simon that resonates throughout the album. ‘The Shortest Pier’ and ‘Expired’ are both gentle doses of strings that hint at the legendary songwriter. ‘Amends’ does likewise, only with the added weight of Joey Cape (Lagwagon), a precursor if you will to the March tour headed this way. It’s melancholic (especially ”AM’), thoughtful and very precise yet retaining an odd roughness around the edges.
‘Toaster in the Bathtub’ proves that it’s not all genteel. There’s a forceful energy and grit about the song that comes across like Social Distortion. It’s also a set closer if ever there was one. Elsewhere, ‘Via Munich’ and ‘Love, Sick Love’ both have an almost gypsy flavour to them (maybe it’s just the fiddles and accordions), something a little different for the musical palate.
Okay, so the music sounds good but it’s not exactly pioneering, but that’s not the point. The real beauty of this record lies in the lyrics. There are some real snapshots of despair, lost hope, discovered hope and human frailty on show here. These words talk. And for that alone, ’12 Song Program’ is really worth checking out.
Alex