Tribute to Nothing are both an institution and one of the UK scene’s greatest kept secrets. When they started up, this country was still in the midst of a Conservative government, songs slagging off George W. Bush were still years away and, even, World War II was still fresh in people’s minds. I have their 1997 Lockjaw records debut ‘Wrench’ sitting proudly on my shelf (the one after they got dropped of their major label, if I remember right). But the band they are now bears little resemble to the sort of post-grunge noise they were over a decade ago. Now they are an angular post-hardcore outfit that have long taken the mainland of Europe by storm, but remain largely anonymous in their home country.
So, we have their sixth studio album (sixth?!), ‘Breathe how you want to breathe’. Which is really very, very good. It’s not an album for the masses – they never have been a band that is easily understood. Think…well…the aged, broken vocals of Hot Water Music. Combine them with riffs that would sit well on Dischord records and a temptation to throw in the odd catchy, Black Flag style shout along, gang chorus. At its best, this album is the missing link between punk rock chord sequences that I am always a sucker for, and the depth you’d expect from the average post-punk, chin-stroking crowd. Sure, not every track on the album hits the spot, but when they REALLY get it right (like track 2, ‘Day In, Day Out’ – and no, it’s not a King Prawn cover), Tribute to Nothing are just about unstoppable.
My plea to the Punktastic masses is give Tribute to Nothing a bit of your time. I don’t know the band personally, but I know they have slogged their guts out on the road for longer than some of us have been listening to music. And they still have it – perhaps more than they ever did have it. Go have a listen, you won’t regret it.
Mike