In amongst the dross I’ve been sent recently (“Woo. Another post-hardcore/emo album from some sensitive people. Great.â€) was this demo from the four-piece known as Wagstaffe. When you’re wading through a review pile of depressingly formulaic CDs all trying to jump on the rapidly-departing bandwagon it’s refreshing to hear a young band trying some simple, uncomplicated poppy punk rock.
True, Jack’s sometimes-nasal vocals can grate, since the slight twang in his voice sounds a touch forced on ‘You Do It All The Time’, but it doesn’t spoil an otherwise energetically fun song. The Sublime-esque opening mixes seamlessly into a heavier punk chorus while retaining the original tune and as a whole, the track is a fine example of melodic punk rock. There’s nothing contrived about Wagstaffe, and perhaps that’s their downfall, not much innovation or new ideas brought to the table.
Having said that, this demo is sufficiently eclectic to suggest that the ‘staffe might be able to grow into a impressive band with a bit of time and confidence. ‘Out Of Reach’ is a mature ska number with a catchy hook and bouncy bassline that calls to mind Catch 22 or the mighty Milk2Sugars, and the band don’t put a foot wrong, especially when the calypso guitar kicks in and you can just feel the summer around the corner. ‘Chasing The Sun’ sounds like a slower Captain Everything, but with a slightly predictable riff that lets the song down just when you think something different’s round the corner.
As a demo, this is certainly promising – perhaps because it’s the only CD I’ve reviewed recently which isn’t bursting with pretension and selfish emotion – because it has a refreshing simplicity about itself, without trying to pander to the posing scenesters that claim to be the saviours of punk. It’s very poppy, but not overtly so – the chilled outro to ‘Out Of Reach’ is a divine change of pace that implies that with a few more risks, Wagstaffe could make a decent name for themselves.
Ben
www.wagstaffemusic.co.uk